Riptide
by HMMaster
Summary: In a last-ditch effort to end the Kyuubi for good, Minato and Kushina work together to send the newborn jinchuuriki into another world. The sealing formula they used adapted Naruto to fit his new environment, but when he lands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the newly-crowned Orin and his best friend Mera find the newest Atlantean in the center of a crater.
1. Unfamiliar Water

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties.**_

* * *

_**.:01:.  
Unfamiliar Water**_

**POSEIDONIS  
OCTOBER 10, 8:02 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FOURTEEN**

The newly-crowned king stopped in mid-sentence, angling his neck away from the red locks swaying in the water. He stood from his seat immediately, ignoring his breakfast and rising up effortlessly in a few quick kicks to hover evenly, looking out the window.

"Orin! What's wrong?" The girl joined him, a concerned scowl across her face. The sudden disturbance interrupted their first opportunity to be alone together in weeks. Her teeth were clenched together in a look that signified rage, and he was personally glad to not be on the receiving end.

Orin shared her impatience with his personal life being interrupted for his new duties. He wasn't supposed to receive the throne until he had matured, but that had been cut five years short when his father passed away. The throne immediately fell to him, and the stress and grief had seemingly aged him several years in only a few short weeks. These moments with Mera, as infrequent as they were, reminded them he was ultimately still too young to rule.

Orin and Mera looked through the partly-translucent dome, just as the water shook from another explosion. "What was that?" she asked again, her scowl fading finally.

For once, he was glad that the palace was on a higher shelf, partially-removed from the city itself. Down below, the two of them could see the source of the problem. A building in the financial district remained in ruins, the coral and rock glowing with heat that reminded him of thermal vents. Fish swam away from the city in huge schools, terrified of what had occurred.

"I do not know, but they will need me," he said apologetically, but as he left to go look, Mera gave him an exasperated look and followed. "It's not-"

"Safe? I'm going and you can't stop me."

Orin and Mera swam towards it faster than they probably should, passing several concerned citizens who cowered behind the walls, staring above them and thinking the others would come as well. Mera calmed them as best as she could, shouting that it would be okay as they moved.

When he stopped suddenly, floating in place above the wreckage, there were already several soldiers pointing their spears and gathering around the building.

"What's happened?" Orin asked carefully to the commanding officer, a Conservatory tattoo of a sea serpent circling his eye.

"Something suddenly burst from above, surrounded by yellow light and crashed into the bank," the man said carefully, bowing to his king. "The explosion when it crashed was strong enough that it cracked open the seabed." He pointed to the thin, shallow chasm below their feet, extending as far as the eye could see and destabilizing several other buildings, pieces of which had broken off and fallen inside.

"Was anyone harmed?" asked Mera, and the soldier gave her an interesting look.

"You can share the intel with her. She is with me," he said automatically, and the soldier earned a scowl from the redhead.

He shook his head. "No, my king. I ordered my men to keep away from whatever was the source. The civilians talk of a meteor."

Orin shared a glance with Mera and then moved toward the inside. "Stay back a moment." She looked like she would protest, but the soldier moved in front of her.

"We will keep her safe, my king."

Orin nodded, already wishing that she was as respected as he was. The girl was just a student of the Conservatory to most of the population, and they could not see the love the two held for each other. _One day, they will love you as their Queen._

"Send for Vulko," Orin commanded, hoping the scientist could help discover what had happened. He swam into the wreckage, the heat from the explosive collision warming the water around him to incredibly high levels. He was escorted by four soldiers, their spears at the ready, but he doubted they would need them once he saw the source.

Deep in the center of a smoking crater was what _did_ appear to be a meteor, but the bubbles spiraling up from the massive heat around it made it difficult to see. He dropped to the bottom of the crater, mere centimeters away from touching the surface, and his feet were already scolding. A soldier's dolphin-like tail whipped against the ground and immediately jumped through the water in pain, a small burn already forming.

He sent for help from someone who knew magic, who could stabilize the heat so they could investigate what was going on. He moved as close as he dared, avoiding the hot bubbles just in front of his face, and looked directly at the object to investigate it. The steam-filled bubbles faded away for a moment, and his eyes flashed with realization.

Surrounded by what appeared to be glass or perhaps an opaque gemstone was a sleeping newborn infant, as naked as the moment he was born. The stone was crimson red, striated like it was made of several pieces, and Orin was terrified for the boy. _Could he be alive?_

He turned to the soldier beside him, grabbing the spear. "Let me borrow that for a moment!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Break it open," he answered simply, already flexing his muscles in preparation.

As though by divine providence, he heard a familiar voice shout at him, and without another moment, the bearded scientist floated down next to him. "My king! What has happened?"

"Vulko! There's a baby inside it!" he said carefully, pointing to the meteor that he wasn't sure was actually a meteor anymore. "We need to free him!"

The head of the Science Center nodded, moving closer than he himself even dared, driven by his curiosity. "Don't do anything rash."

Orin grinned at the sight, having known the man for as long as he had been alive. The Chief Advisor for all things science to the king, Orin realized this was the first time he had personally called on Vulko. One of his first memories was going with his mother and father to the Science Center to consult the kingdom's rising acid levels.

The mages from the Conservatory arrived, Mera taking the initiative to join them, and four of them accompanied her. They chanted lightly for a few moments, before the spell formed. Water glowed with green and blue light, instantly chilling the water significantly. Ice formed on the crater's surface, stopping the steam from rising. They could see the object more clearly now, and Mera joined him, her octopus-like tattoo fading.

"There's a baby?" she asked carefully, an arm around the fifteen-year-old king. The other teen sounded hopeful. "Do you think he's alive?"

Vulko nodded, removing any prejudices he had against Mera asking questions. The separation between civilian and nobility was incredibly clear in Poseidonis, although there were other cities he had visited with a blurred perspective. Orin had to thank the man later for giving Mera the time of day. "Yes, I believe so. The crystal around it must have preserved him, protected him from the impact."

They couldn't see clearly enough through the glass to see if the baby was actually human or not, but Orin was suddenly thankful that Vulko had arrived in time to stop him from breaking it open. Was he an alien from beyond the surface world's skies? If the baby was human, the pressure would kill him. He was already contemplating an order to the members of the Conservatory to cast the necessary spells to create a bubble of atmosphere around the area, but the scientist suddenly shouted something unintelligible.

"He's Atlantean!" Vulko shouted, instantly raising more questions. The soldiers murmured around them, but Orin was already thinking of what to do. Ordering the mages to perform the necessary spell as a precaution, the five mages held back the powerful force of the ocean. Mera's tattoos glowed to life again, running along her cheeks and pointing directly to her eyes. He had to stop himself from dropping his jaw at her beauty, as the ocean washed over him.

Stepping to the ground of the crater, still cool to the touch, he felt the usual weakness that accompanied the feeling of being away from the water. His body adjusted within a few seconds, but he supposed that was far easier for him than most, given who his father was.

He stepped into the center of the crater, holding the soldier's spear in his hand. Vulko was suddenly beside him, touching the surface of the odd crimson gem-like material. It seemed to glow lightly from his touch.

"Fascinating," he said carefully. "It would have be incredibly durable to withstand the pressure and protect what's inside." He ran his hands across it, but Orin was staring intently at the baby's belly. The orange light seemed to becoming from an interesting tattoo-like spiraling symbol on the boy's stomach, but he couldn't see any other defining Atlantean features. The gem was too opaque to see clearly, but perhaps Vulko knew better. He had to trust the man's word on matters like this.

"There are nine pieces, carefully wrapped together to protect the air pocket in the middle," Vulko said with great scientific interest. "Not a stone formation that could have occurred naturally, and definitely not in outer space." He mumbled something about the surface dwellers, but Orin couldn't listen to his prejudices. "Someone did this intentionally, as though they knew he was going to be sent underwater. The spherical ridges distinctly protect against the depth. I've never seen anything like it."

"Can I break it now?" he asked abruptly. "They can't hold the spell forever."

After a long moment, Vulko nodded. "You have to do it so precisely." He pointed to a spot where three striations seemed to meet, above where the boy's head was underneath. "To hit this spot, and this spot only. Hit it hard, but do it carefully."

Orin nodded and took a deep breath, looking around the glowing lavender bubble of water. Mera gave a weak wave, and it was all the encouragement he needed.

Tensing his powerful muscles, he carefully stabbed the spear's point into the exact place where Vulko instructed, and the object cracked, a crisscross of hair fractures running across it. He panted lightly, _Gods this thing is tough._ Arms straining, he suddenly jerked the spear upwards, prying a huge piece of it away.

Instantly dropping to his knees from expended effort, Vulko pulled more of the crystal away carefully and grinned heartily. He pulled what looked to be a scroll from the baby's side, looking at it carefully. "Odd. Someone's sent a message with it?" he suggested before opening the paper.

Orin was interested in the message, but he was more interested in the baby boy. A tuft of blonde hair, tiny little fingers, a glowing orange tattoo on his belly. His eyes were closed, too young to have them open yet, but there were clear gills on his shoulders, proving his Atlantean heritage. His chest rose and fell as he took what could have been one of his very first breaths with his nose, before it suddenly screamed awake.

"Oh, good, he's awake!" the scientist said, looking away from the scroll, as Orin lifted the boy into his arms, troubled at the appearance of pointed teeth, almost like a shark. His spine lightly protruded from his neck, the back of his hands shimmering with lightly shining blue-green scales. _The boy's going to attract the attention of the Purists... _

After only a few seconds of being away from the crystal structure, it fell apart and suddenly disintegrated to nothing but mere dust, as though its purpose had been fulfilled. The tattoo stopped glowing, the black ink suddenly bubbling up from the skin. Orin nearly dropped the baby when the liquid suddenly lurched out, as though alive, before falling away and turning into nothing more than a small puddle. It disappeared shortly after, preventing them from getting a sample of it. The crystal dust was gone as well, and Orin frowned.

The baby continued crying loudly, even as Orin rocked him carefully in his hands. He suddenly realized he had no idea how to take care of a child, and he doubted that Orm counted.

Vulko had a frown on his face. "I can't make heads or tails of this. It's in some kind of antiquated air-breather language." Orin took a peak himself, but it definitely was indeed an odd language of symbols. He could read and speak English on account of his father, but this was nothing like those letters. What was the most odd, however, was the fact that it was written in a crimson ink that had to be blood.

"I'm sure someone can cast a spell to translate it," he said, knowing that they had devised a spell for similar purposes. He gestured to the members of the Conservatory, and the water and all its pressure gently reapplied to him. Orin felt reinvigorated, and the boy seemed to calm immediately. His fingers gripped the man gently, and he grinned.

"He's beautiful," Mera said as she joined him immediately, gesturing for her hands. Orin's grin extended even further the moment the thirteen-year-old took the baby in her hands, supporting its head. The red-haired girl had never looked more gorgeous than that exact moment, and Orin's heart swelled.

Everyone came to greet the newborn Atlantean, while Orin tried to handle all their questions that he could answer. The baby seemed happy surrounded by all these people, but it didn't take long before he started to cry again.

"I'll go feed him," she declared, swimming away from the wreckage of the crash site. "I'm sure there's something he can eat around there." As she did, several soldiers followed to escort her.

He wanted to follow, but Vulko stopped him. "The answers are all in this scroll," the scientist said.

As soon as the translation spell was active, a light blue glow emitting from the letters, they seemed to shift into an intelligible script. He wanted to read it all at once, but there was a lot of information there. When he found something that could be considered an introduction, he began to read.

_"Naruto,_

_I'm sorry for what we had to do. I'm sure you're old enough to understand the contents of the letter, but there are so many things to explain. The most important thing to understand is that we decided that sending you away into another world would prevent another catastrophe from happening. A great demon called the Kyuubi no Kitsune was terrorizing your hometown, and as the leader of the village, I had to do something to stop it. So I sealed part of its power within you, and sent you to another world. There were people trying to control its powers, and it was too risky to leave you here where we are. As my last act, I sent you away using what was left of the Kyuubi's power to do it, to protect you on your journey and to allow you to fit into this new world, wherever you may be. When you read this, the Kyuubi should be dead, and you'll never have a reason to fear it again. _

_There's so much more than we want to say, but we are running out of time. We're sorry._

_Love,  
Your Parents."_

There was more on the scroll, but Orin suddenly felt like he was violating into another person's life. He shut it carefully, sticking it into his pocket. "I'll explain it to everyone later." He kicked off above, hoping to go find Mera and the baby named Naruto as quickly as possible.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
OCTOBER 10, 16:11 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FOURTEEN**

Orin never realized he had fallen asleep until someone knocked on the door, shaking him awake. It opened carefully, revealing the form of his younger brother, running a hand through his brown hair as he swam inside. "I came as soon as I heard! How are you two doing?"

Orin turned to see Mera rocking the baby to sleep, holding a skin filled with nutrient-enriched water, a bit of kelp on a plate next to her. She smiled at him and at Orm.

"We're fine. Little Naruto here is okay as well," she said. "His gills aren't fully developed, so he's having some trouble breathing, but he's been adjusting for the past few hours. Everyone says he'll be fine shortly."

The prince smiled. "Of course. Do you need anything, Mera?" When the woman shook her head, he gestured for Orin to come with him. The blonde teenager nodded and waved carefully, before swimming out of the room with his brother.

"I assume you have something to discuss?"

Prince Orm frowned lightly. "Well, yes, I'm afraid. The Elders have convened-"

"Without me?" he asked, careful not to raise his voice, but his anger was still evident.

Orm backed off a bit. "They felt you would be too close to the boy to truly make a decision that would be what was best for the kingdom."

He grit his teeth. It was like his father all over again; after his mother died, his air-breather father had become king, and they didn't respect him at all. The Elders operated as though they were beyond reproach.

"Brother, would you tell me where the power lies in Atlantis?"

The boy opened his mouth, taking in a breath. "In you, of course."

"Exactly. What did they declare about Naruto?"

The prince seemed confused about hearing the boy's name, but eventually shook it off. "They believe the boy is a danger to Poseidonis and all of Atlantis as a whole. There's too much mystery about himself and this other _world_ he comes from, so the boy is to be executed."

The casual way his brother said that immediately angered him. "The baby will be staying in Poseidonis, end of discussion. If not in our very home, dear brother, then we will find a suitable home for him. It is not up for debate."

Orm squirmed under his tone, but there was some kind of hidden anger in his eyes. "I did not mean to offend, my brother, I was merely relaying what they decided."

"Thank you for telling me about the decision that I will entirely disregard," Orin declared. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some people to see."

He left the prince and vanished from the palace, hoping he could take care of a few things that he should have taken care of earlier. When he finally arrived at the Science Center, Vulko was already waiting for him, holding data reports in his hands.

"How's the baby?" asked the man quickly, and all Orin could do was nod before he was interrupted with the science talk. "We were able to isolate a certain kind of unknown radiation at the site, as well as particles of that crystal that looked like it had disappeared completely." He held up a picture of the microscopic image, revealing what looked like a very crystalline solid.

"What is it?"

"It's some kind of energy construct," he said excitedly. "There's so much power behind that tiny speck, but it vanished completely within a few minutes. We managed to get a picture of it under a microscope before it disintegrated."

He nodded; it must have to do with the demon. He'd already guessed that the crystal was the protective force Naruto's parents had mentioned using the demon's power for, but a lot of questions were left in the air. Was this "other world" that the scroll mentioned filled with people who looked like Atlanteans and lived under water? It seemed unlikely, but he supposed they would never know unless there was more information from the scroll.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
OCTOBER 11, 09:19  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FOURTEEN**

Mera focused on the boy's small face, his teeth as sharp as a shark's, despite being so young. He was an oddity, an impossible little boy who made little sense in the grand scheme of things. It was as though the gods themselves had sent him to them, and she considered that a blessing.

The scroll had said otherwise, but she thought it was a miracle. Poseidon _must_ have influenced the boy coming here of all places, even if the boy's actual parents had sent him to another world. The gods_ had_ to have helped guide the boy on his journey from one place to the next, because that was what they did, wasn't it? They guide heroes.

She smiled. "My little hero..."

Mera wondered what her mother had been like, but she had no memories of her. Her father had been absent, and he could be anywhere in the Seven Seas right now, and she'd never find him. She might have only been thirteen, but she had already made up her mind.

This boy was going to be raised like her own, whether Orin was there or not. She'd already received a visit from one of the nurses who didn't like her, and gotten an inappropriate look. The woman had requested to take the boy to a hospital about his breathing problems, but she'd refused. The idea of the boy leaving her side was terrifying, especially when she heard what Orin said about the Elders.

She knew what happened to the so-called "fish-heads" and that wouldn't happen to Naruto. She wouldn't let it.

But the Elders would pressure Orin to get the boy out of sight; they wouldn't let him taint the crown. Mera lived in the Conservatory of Sorcery, but she was uncertain if that would be any better than the palace. The Elders would pressure the boy to removed elsewhere, if not outright executed like they intended, and even if Orin could put his foot down, she wasn't sure if it would make a difference.

The Conservatory was the best bet, the more she thought about it. She could take care of a baby, and her own teacher had always wanted to have a child. She knew this would be the best option. She just knew it.

The door to the guest room where she had slept for the night opened, revealing two soldiers swimming in. She reached for the beautiful blonde boy and took him into her arms, as though to protect him.

"I'm afraid that you cannot stay here any longer, Mera. The Conservatory has requested your appearance immediately."

Mera nodded. "Is King Orin here? I need to tell him something I've decided about the baby."

The female soldier looked at her quizzically, gripping her spear loosely. "I don't believe so, ma'am. His highness left early this morning to take care of other business."

"What other business?" she asked, receiving a frown from the other soldier.

"A council meeting with the Elders."

Mera's eyes widened, realizing that they were going to make a decision about Naruto without her input. Perhaps justifiably so, but she needed to tell him immediately.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
OCTOBER 11, 9:51 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FOURTEEN**

Never in any moment before had Orin felt more powerful. He loved seeing their expressions when he challenged their supposed authority. This was the first major time he had ever had a conflict with them, and despite the fact that he wasn't of age, he wouldn't let them rule in his stead on issues such as this.

"I simply do not understand why you would protect the boy," one said in the closed chambers, placing his hands on the circular desk that surrounded him. "He's clearly a danger to the kingdom!"

"There are too many unknown factors involved."

"And the scroll said there was a demon involved! Do you want a demon in our midst?!"

Orin ignored their questions and concerns, but inwardly, he was worried about them. It was unnatural for teeth to be generated that soon. Was the demon still involved, despite all evidence to point to the contrary?

"I apologize, Elders, but I am simply not negotiating with you on this matter," he said confidently. "I will speak with you about tax brackets or how to deal with disputes among the city-states, but I will not make a deal with you on the issue of this boy's safety."

"This demon could be more dangerous than any damnable dispute!"

"You need to kill him. Get rid of him. He cannot threaten Poseidonis."

Orin sighed. "I am King, and what I say goes."

"And you're a fool!" shouted the most vocal of the Elders, a nasty-looking old man with a choppy beard. His robe billowed around him. "You are not of age, _King_ Orin. We have been at this job far longer than you, and we will not be fooled into submission by naive upstarts."

Orin sighed again as the Elders all rallied behind the man's comments, and any good feeling he had about his authority was slowly sinking away. They were serious about ignoring his authority. What to do about it?

"King Orin, you have a visitor," someone said from the door, a guard to their chambers. The king saw the opportunity, grinning mischievously. "It's an urgent matter of life or death. Should I allow her inside?"

"Of course," he said automatically, much to the bemoaning of the Elders.

Mera entered the room, earning an even bigger smile from Orin. She rushed inside, the baby in her hands wrapped in cloth, and the king nearly watched the council behind him have heart attacks. A second person swam in, a middle-aged woman with the tail and size of a manatee; Orin recognized her as Savenna. Despite her weight, Savenna had this countenance about her that was as elegant as any noble person.

"This is an outrage! A civilian orphan bringing the demon inside the-"

"You'll be quiet and let her speak immediately," Orin threatened, completely exhausted of hearing this.

After a long moment, Mera cleared her throat and began. "Council, I know that you and the King are in disagreement about what to do with the child here. But I believe I have discovered a solution that will benefit everyone as a whole.

"I understand that the child cannot stay in the palace because of the impact it could have on his reputation." Orin wanted to argue this point, but she understood what Mera's game plan was now. "But I feel connected to the child. I lost my parents for different reasons at a young age: I know what it's like to never have known them."

Savenna swam forward, nervous but determined. "We suggest that Naruto grow up in the Conservatory of Sorcery under my tutelage. The mages can keep a close eye on him and his development. I wish to take care of him."

Orin was so proud of the two of them in that moment. Savenna was a great person and a good mother figure, and Mera would be close by. And if Mera was close by, then Orin would be as well. There were no downsides to this arrangement at all, but the Elders seemed skeptical.

"Would you like to see the baby?" asked Mera, a sudden idea catching their attention. Orin was glad for it; he could remove them from the council if any of the Elders had Purist tendencies. It didn't take long for one of them to agree, and Mera swam over to them and presented the baby to the old man. Orin was watching carefully, prepared to move in case something went wrong, but the Elder held the boy in his arms, his smile growing.

Orin witnessed several disapproving looks from four of the twelve-member council, but eventually, they relented. All twelve of the Elders were considered "pure" by Purist standards, and Orin knew it would be a good idea to select some "impure" men for the council.

"Fine. We will accept your proposal," the head of the Elders said, "but on the condition that if anything odd or demonic happens to him, he will be exiled from Atlantis." The other members agreed. Orin nodded once, but not more, showing that he didn't think that was necessarily reasonable, but it wasn't unreasonable either. From all the time he'd spent with the boy, everything seemed perfectly normal.

Mera bowed once, holding the baby closer to her chest before sharing a glance with Savenna, her personal instructor at the Conservatory. The kind woman grinned and bowed as well, before the two of them left the room.

Orin turned back to the Elders. "This meeting was a farce. I'm glad you gave him a good outcome, but I do not understand your attitude. The Conservatory will take good care of him, and will watch him grow to ensure he becomes an excellent citizen of Atlantis." He turned to walk away, but as he did, another thought ran through his head. "The respect you have shown to the crown my father and my mother shared for nearly two decades is appalling. I ought to destroy the Elder council; it's an antiquated system anyway."

And with that, he left, refusing to hear any more of their comments.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
OCTOBER 11, 13:46 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FOURTEEN**

Orin followed Mera to the Conservatory of Sorcery after the meeting, and they spent the next few hours playing with Naruto and catching up with Savenna. They greeted the king well, and the Conservatory itself seemed accepting of the arrangement.

"Look at those teeth!" shouted Nanaue, prince of the city state Nanauve, looking at the boy's shark-like teeth while he was crying. "I have a feeling that I'm going to like this kid."

Orin clapped the other man on the shoulder, half afraid the man would try to bite it off. He didn't have a great track record with Prince Sha'ark, but the man was unusually fast. "Of course. What's not to like?"

The prince's expression went dark. "Words travel fast. They say he's a demon."

"Words are exaggerated," Mera defended, stepping up to them. Orin had to smile at her brazenness. "He's not a minion of Hades. I'm sure if we did a prayer to ask him, he'd answer with, 'If I had sent a demonic baby into your city, don't you think I'd have boasted about it by now?'"

Orin and the prince laughed, before the man left to go prepare for a sparring session with one of the other students. Savenna returned after a moment, joining them. "I've set up a bed in my room for him to sleep in until he's old enough for another room. The bed is portable, so you and I can share him from night to night. Hopefully that will keep our sanity intact." She seemed positively glowing at the arrangement, and Mera was as happy for her as anyone else.

Orin laughed. "I promise to watch over him as well, when I can. You two aren't alone in this."

The two students nodded, before Mera leaned down to nuzzle the baby's nose. "Of course not. I expect you to be here a lot. Maybe taking care of Naruto will help you get your duties done faster. After all, how can you spend time away from this little guy?"

Orin had to hope that she was right; he made a mental note to ensure he was never behind on paperwork or other responsibilities, so that he could spend time with Naruto.

* * *

_**And that's it for now. Next chapter will jump ahead quite a few years, so Naruto can interact on his own with other known characters and we'll get more into the meat of the story/conflict. **_

_**Not sure why I'm compelled to do this story. I've been on such a Naruto kick lately, and I recently began rewatching YJ and got to "Downtime", and I suddenly couldn't get the idea of Atlantean!Naruto out of my head. Then I realized Mera and Orin have the same hair colors as Kushina and Minato, which was another unintended consequence of this idea.**_

_**There are a few crossovers of this type, but most of them just replay YJ canon with an inserted Naruto. I don't want to do that, so this will have a different feel to it, although it will follow the episodes/comics to some extent. I have no current pairings planned, but if you would like a certain pairing, there will be a poll on my profile with the possible choices. The pairing will happen from those choices and no others, although most of the ladies in the show are included. **_

_**Let me know what you thought in a review!**_


	2. Ominous Winds

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties. **_

* * *

_**.:02:.  
Ominous Winds**_

**POSIEDONIS**  
**DECEMBER 21, 10:16 UTC-2**  
**TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

Orin sighed as he put down the missive from the King Rajar of Lemuria, explaining that their crops were endangered. He'd have to respond with a shipment of their own and enough drachmas to make up for the losses, and it was not an uncommon issue. The humans, or the air-breathers as they were "affectionately" called, had caused these problems in spits and starts since Atlantis was created, but it had grown more frequent in recent years; rapid industrialization had its drawbacks. No king in Atlantis' history, from any of the city-states, had had to handle this much pollution, and it was taxing on their magic to respond to it.

He was already considering ways to respond to these issues, and his friends had some interesting ideas, not the least of which was human genocide. Orm had responded in an interesting way to that idea, but Orin knew they were all kidding. He knew Orm would never seriously suggest that, but he wouldn't put it past some of the other kings to respond that way, whether they followed Orin's rules or not. Prince Nanaue was a hothead, but even_ he_ wouldn't respond that way; his father might be another story.

Mera had suggested something only a few weeks ago, partly in jest, but it made a lot of sense. Perhaps the humans merely needed awareness that there were people living underwater. A person to become a liaison for the peoples of Atlantis to the world above them, to explain that their advancements had been harming an entire culture. It would be a peaceful model, but perhaps effective if they tried to follow through. Would it work fast enough to solve their problems, however?

He could hear the celebration from behind his desk, looking up just the light show flickered high over the palace. Three life-size golden whales spun around and around each other, chasing each other before a real whale crashed through them, bursting them into sparkles. Orin smiled when he saw one of the Conservatory mages riding the whale, as it danced in the water and then vanished. He could feel the whale's happy thoughts from behind his desk.

This had been going on since the solstice began a few hours ago, but he was too behind on his duties.

"Sir, you have a visitor," his guard explained. "He has sneaked into the palace again. Should I escort him out?" Orin looked up and waved them in, glad for the distraction. When a tiny little toddler entered the room, dressed in an orange and green suit modeled after his own, Orin smiled. The boy responded with a toothy grin, and the king could only laugh.

"What in the gods are you wearing?"

The boy looked down at his uniform and gave him a thumbs-up. "I'm wearing what you're wearing!"

The king could only laugh. "Of course. I can see that. Where's Mera and Savenna? You didn't run off from them again, did you?"

He looked defensive. "No! I just came to get you. Did you see the whales?!"

Orin chuckled. "Yeah they were really great, weren't they?" The king wanted to tell the boy to go back outside, but he realized he could use a break. After a small moment, he shut the door and followed the rambunctious boy to the festival.

"Now, Naruto, how many times have I told you not to come to the palace alone? And to sneak inside?" he tried to make his tone light to make the boy not feel so bad about the situation, but this was the fifth or sixth time in the past three months. Orin _still_ didn't know which entrance the toddler was using.

Naruto swam ahead in circles, spinning and turning and having a blast. On the third loop around, Orin reached out and grabbed the boy to hold him in place, to force him to answer the question. "Well... I know you've said that, Orin, but I can't help it! I just wanted to see you, and I could tell Mera did too! She looked too sad on a day like this."

Orin frowned as they passed a row of dome-shaped homes, many dancing civilians outside. A school of fish passed overhead, mentally chattering about the festival, and the king merely smiled.

Of course, Naruto would cut to the middle of his worries; he was a weirdly perceptive child. The king's relationship with the love of his life was... rocky, as of late. She understood how important his work was to him, but still wished he had more time for her. But the boy was right; on this festival day, he should have ignored his work.

When the seventeen-year-old redhead finally came into view, standing on the roof of the Conservatory, she had a gleam in her eye. Savenna sat next to her, lounging as another light show was about to begin. Orin approached but the girl ran over and embraced him, smiling.

"Good job, Naruto! I knew I could count on you," she said, grasping his hand carefully. The boy returned to sit next to Savenna, shouting something Orin couldn't hear about seahorses.

"So he didn't actually sneak away from you?"

Mera chuckled. "Who do you take me for?"

Orin just smiled as they took their seats, waiting for the next show to begin. "Did you have something to do with what the boy is wearing?"

Mera just laughed. "No, that was all his idea."

Savenna snickered. "I made it for him."

Orin just smiled, but the boy's mimicry of him was a little disconcerting. He tried not let his face betray that emotion, but he assumed Mera could figure out where he was coming from.

The light shows were tests for some of the younger students, and the annual celebration of the Winter Solstice was the perfect opportunity to show off their budding skills. One of them was about to begin.

"Have you already participated?

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm up next." The beautiful girl swam up from her seat, exciting Naruto that it was finally her time to shine. Orin tried to ignore the looks of adoration he was getting as the King, but they didn't seem to want to approach him. He wished he didn't know the reason why, but it was very clear.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 21, 12:32 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

"And then you made the seahorses fly so close to the buildings, I thought they were going to crash into them!" Naruto beamed, so proud of Mera. The woman just nodded along, a smile on her face; he loved to see her smile.

They were sitting in a small restaurant for lunch, the tables resembling open clams. There were several other people in the room, but most sat away from them. Savenna was next to him and Mera across from them, listening to his retelling of Mera's awesome spell work.

"When am I going to be able to learn spells like those?" It was not the first time he had demanded an answer to that question, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. "I want to start my training now."

Savenna looked down at him. "You need to focus on your general studies first, little one. Most people do not begin their studies at the Conservatory until they are much older."

"How much older?" he asked.

Mera smiled. "I didn't begin until I was ten, but I started early. Some don't begin until they are fourteen."

Naruto hated hearing that, but they had shared that with him several times. "I'm not waiting ten years to do all kinds of cool spells and enchantments. I want to be as awesome as you both are!"

Savenna was happy to hear that. People didn't acknowledge her skills often enough; she was apparently one of the least powerful instructors at the Conservatory, and focused on general education first. Because of that, other people his age tended to overlook her and praise all the powerful sorcerers and mages who were more renowned for their military record.

"You'll start when you're ready. It's gonna take a lot of hard work, Naruto," Mera said with a smile.

He frowned. "I wish Orin was here. He'd let me start now."

Mera and Savenna shared a glance, but did not comment on it. "He had to return to the palace after my show," Mera finally explained.

They finally brought their food, and Naruto was so glad that they served his favorite here: boiled wakame. He pulled the green noodles into his mouth, enjoying the taste and chomping into them with his rough teeth. He had to admit, he wished there was some meat, but Orin wasn't here, so he doubted he would get any. The two women at the table were strict vegetarians.

As he continued to eat, Mera recounted her studies and Savenna told stories of her classes, but Naruto was lost in thought. He looked around at the people around them, most of them ignoring him. One girl caught his glance, a redhead with short hair and a yellow outfit, but she looked back and whispered something. The girl's mother and father got up almost immediately, leaving their unfinished bowls and a stack of drachmas to pay for it. The coins glinted in the light as the girl and her family left, and Naruto frowned.

"Don't take it personally," Savenna said, having noticed the display. "They just don't like people who look different." The woman pointed down, her tail covering a lot of the seat.

"Why me though? I don't look that different. I just have some weird teeth," he said, and then raised his arms, showing the scaly fins sticking outward from them. "And a couple fins. There are plenty of people like me around."

Mera glanced at him concernedly. "But they were the majority for centuries. People who look like you have become increasingly common in the last few decades, and people don't like what they don't understand."

"Well how come you're so understanding?" asked Naruto. "Aren't you one of them?"

Mera smiled. "Because I love you just the way you are."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 22, 2:34 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

Naruto couldn't sleep, too many memories of dancing water images in his head. Mera had been so great, and he couldn't possibly sleep after that.

The festival had died down eventually, but if he focused hard enough, he could hear the loud music of parties. He got out of bed and kicked off, swimming through the Conservatory as carefully as he dared, trying to be both fast and silent. He'd gotten quite good at it, but he probably could have accomplished the same feat by walking swiftly.

Naruto hated walking. It seemed like such a waste of all the amazing swimming they could be doing. Orin didn't like to walk either, so he felt justified in swimming everywhere he went.

The Conservatory was dark, lit only by the specialized coral that lined the walls. He didn't understand how it worked, personally, but it was the same stuff that powered the tattoos he desperately wished he could get. Mera wouldn't let him, and he hated that.

When he found the library, the door was unlocked. He slipped inside, hoping to find something he could use. The empty library was quiet, but almost too quiet. He wasn't a huge fan of reading; his English lessons were some of his least favorite, but he'd picked up conversational English relatively easily. When he and Orin were together, he liked to speak to him in his incredibly broken English and pretend they were speaking in code around other people.

When he found the section of books he was looking for, he forced himself to the ground and walked down the aisle, smiling. He found the thickest book he could manage, hoping that meant it would have more awesome secret techniques. He swam up to that shelf and lifted the red book from the bookcase, the heavy tome enough to weigh him down. He sat down in a hurry and plopped the book on the ground, the spine of the book reading "Kordax."

He had no idea what that meant, so he quickly ignored it and settled into reading some of the first pages. It was supposed to be in the instructional section of the library, so he was sure he would find something amazing that he could use.

Flipping through the heavy pages, he recognized the tiny symbols that adorned each page. Savenna always said that was the enchantment that they used to protect paper from being ruined, although most paper came from refined kelp these days, and that was only for poor people. This was fine-grade paper from the surface.

When he found what looked like a spell, he read the incantation silently to himself, wanting to make sure he had it down before he invoked it. The incantations were training wheels for sorcery, and he definitely needed it.

The second he invoked it aloud, he was thrown backwards as the room suddenly exploded with blue light. A wall of power slammed into him hard, made of what looked like a mass of uncoordinated bubbles, swirling around the room. In what could only be described as wind suddenly appearing in the middle of water, Naruto was suddenly aware that he had done something powerful.

When the now exhausted four-year-old cleared his senses, panting and peeling himself off of the wall, he saw what a mess it had made. When the swirling wind had appeared out of nowhere, every bit of water in the room had been powerfully displaced, like a giant splash on the surface. Books and papers floated across the room, disturbing the enchantments that held them to the shelves until someone picked them up. The Kordax spellbook had slid across the floor, now floating freely near the closed doorway.

Naruto peeked upward, and there was a very large bubble across the ceiling, where the wind he had created out of nothing was forced to stay because it couldn't escape. The blonde realized that he had increased the pressure of the entire library, because it was difficult to swim upward. When he managed to reach the ceiling, he moved his head into the bubble and took a breath through his nose.

"So that's what breathing on the surface is like?" he asked suddenly, smiling as one of his greatest questions had finally been answered.

He dropped down into the room once more, realizing with terror that he had caused the mess, but he didn't know how to clean it up. He didn't know what it would take to put the books back on the shelves or the spells he would need to make them stay where they were supposed to be. All of this was so, so wrong.

"Naruto!" someone shouted as the door opened, immediately causing a rush of water and air to flood out of the room. He swam down in time to see Mera staring at the huge air bubble flowing out of the library's door, the pressurized room returning to normal. "What did you do?"

He swam toward the door in shame. "I didn't mean to! I just wanted to learn magic!" He looked down and picked up the book where he had learned the spell, pointing. "I said one out of this one." She tore it from his fingertips.

The woman's eyes went wide with worry when she recognized the script, but by now, other people in the Conservatory were waking. "We have to hide this." He wanted to ask her why, but she shushed him, disappearing into the room as quickly as she could and placing the book among the others. "Come on and help me."

He followed her and found the bubble, which had settled on the surface of the transparent dome above. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later," she said quickly, gesturing to the bubble and shining her tentacle-like tattoos. The bubble glowed with purple light, and bit by bit, it shrank until there was no sign the bubble was there at all.

"What did you do?"

"I used a spell to assimilate the air into the water," she explained. "It doesn't matter though. We need to get back and help them clean up. They're going to find it soon enough, and the faster we start cleaning up, the faster they won't punish us."

Naruto nodded and followed her swiftly. By the time they got there, a few others were arriving. The sound of the water pressure colliding against the door had woken most people up, and no one looked happy about it.

"We had a training accident," she said, covering for him. "Naruto wanted to come along, and I accidentally used a spell I couldn't handle. But I'm going to help get everything back where it goes, I promise." She reached out and grabbed a book that had free-floated out of the room nervously.

"A training accident in the middle of the night?" asked one of the older instructors. "You will be reprimanded for this, and for bringing him along." Naruto didn't feel any venom in his words, but the message was clear. She was going to take the fall for his mistake, and he felt awful about it.

Hours of headache later, and they finally finished the restocking, thanks the angry librarians' help of tracking down the books. Naruto made sure to remember the location of the Kordax book, in case he needed it later.

"I can't believe what you did," she said automatically the moment she shut the door to her room. Naruto couldn't remove the crestfallen look on his face if he tried.

"I'm sorr-"

"No, really. I can't believe it," she said, as though correcting him. "I would be amazed if I wasn't so angry. You cast a spell without a single tattoo, and it was _wind _magic. Most people can't use wind magic. I personally don't know of anyone who can." She went through the theory behind how it worked, vaporizing the water in a given area instantly and then controlling the air content created, but he couldn't follow it.

He tried to feel proud by his apparently amazing accomplishment, but he couldn't. She switched from awe to anger very quickly, and rightfully so, and made sure that he was suitably punished. "No wakame for three weeks. And you're going to make sure your room is clean." He protested, but she shook her head. "No buts. I can't believe you went against what I said."

"But you never told me that I couldn't try to learn magic. You just said I was too young to."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, smartass." She frowned at her usage of the word and then shook it off. "Four weeks without wakame."

He groaned and accepted his punishment, before heading back to his room. Even as he did, he reciting the words of the odd spell in his mind, knowing he would remember it, whether she wanted him to or not. He swam around his free-floating dirty clothing, before remembering his punishment and grabbing it to be washed.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 22, 14:53 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

"It's truly unbelievable," Mera said to her boyfriend, the king of the entire country. She was standing in his bedroom, the only place where he wouldn't have guards posted watching his every move. She had made sure to speak to him there, because this was horrible news that needed to be discussed. "It's odd enough that it was wind magic. On top of that, he didn't have the simplest level of tattoos to harness his magic. He shouldn't have been able to cast it at all."

She could see the gears turning in his head, running a hand over his recently shaven beard. "I wish I knew more about sorcery. But what did you say the title of the book was?"

"Kordax," she said with a frown; she knew as much as he did what that meant. "He's blonde, he's part fish, and he can harness wind magic. That's a dangerous combination in Atlantis."

Mera considered what she knew about Kordax. The ancient blonde king who conquered the Seven Seas and united them with his powerful wind sorcery, and the same man who nearly tore all of that success away by murdering his brother. The verdict was out on whether or not the man had been a "pure" Atlantean. But this was all terrifying to imagine.

"I know. I faced the same challenge early on just for having blonde hair," he said. "This must have played into why the Elders hated Naruto from the beginning, regardless of whether or not he remained demonic."

Mera understood that very well. Years ago, before the previous king and queen had even died, the Elders had threatened to make Prince Orm the next in line instead, when he had been born with brown hair. Orin's parents refused to let hair color define their legacy, and the line of succession was not changed because of what could only be a superstition.

"He could be cursed by the gods."

She stared at Orin's face, filled with concern and worry. "No."

"He could be," he said. "And we wouldn't even know it."

The next obvious question ran to her mind, but it was such a stupid idea that she didn't voice it. If this precious little boy from another world was cursed for something he couldn't control, then she couldn't bear to allow it. She had to know for sure.

"We have to ask them."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 22, 17:16 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

Naruto awoke from his afternoon nap with a knock on the door. He didn't feel like talking, but the familiar brown-haired teenager walked into the room anyway. "Hello, Prince Orm."

"Hello, Naruto. Why isn't my riding buddy up and ready? You're fifteen minutes late already."

Naruto suddenly remembered that it was usual day to go riding with Orm, but he wasn't sure if he would be allowed to go. Savenna was teaching a class at the moment, and Mera had been with Orin for hours. After a long moment, he stood up and wrote a note, leaving it on his pillow for anyone to see it.

"All right, let's go."

"That's the spirit!" the man said, kicking off the ground to swim, and Naruto excitedly followed him. They had always turned it into a kind of race between them, but Orm always won. Even so, Naruto was determined to catch up to him, swimming as hard as he could out of the Conservatory and into the open sea, turning toward the stables.

After a few minutes, he stopped trying and Orm noticed quickly. "What's up with you today? You usually have so much energy."

He frowned. "Mera won't let me talk about it to anyone."

"Really? Surely you can tell me."

He shook his head, knowing that he wouldn't disobey her again. That was what got him into trouble last time, and he didn't want to deal with so many more weeks without wakame.

They arrived at the stables, and already, Naruto's mood perked up when he felt the familiar presence of Hippothoon on his mind. As soon as he entered the stable with the escort of the prince, he swam hurriedly up to his stable, sending good telepathic vibes.

Hippothoon was a hippocampus, a creature that had the hindquarters of a dolphin and the head and torso of a seahorse. They were primarily white with brilliant multicolored-scales, almost glimmering in the light. Whenever Naruto was around, Hippothoon predominantly shimmered with orange light, a reflection of his usual colors. He ran a hand along its snout, and every time he was around it, it was like he had never been more happy. He wished the animal could form actual thoughts, but he could sense its emotions, and Hippothoon felt the same way about him.

"Hey, buddy, I'm so glad you're feeling awesome!" he cooed to the creature, who seemed to both mentally and physically smile back. Orm looked over at him curiously.

"I'll never understand how you are able to do that," the prince said with a hint of jealousy.

"I'm not as good as Orin. I can't send pure thoughts like he can," Naruto replied.

The prince saddled his own hippocampus. "But still, to have the skill is a worthy talent."

Naruto picked up his own saddle, but as he tried to put it on, one of the latches wouldn't latch. Orm must have seen his frustration. "Oh, let me help you with that."

Once all the preparations were complete, Orm and Naruto rode their separate hippocampi out of the stables, moving incredibly fast. It was as though riding on Hippothoon stripped away all of his worries and made him feel so, so good.

It was a common custom for Atlanteans to learn how to ride these from an early age, although no one was able to do it as well as those who could make telepathic contact. Most people he talked to were the same as Orm was, unable to send any impressions at all. It made riding much easier for him, despite how young he was.

"Wanna race?" Orm said, and Naruto felt a positive response from his hippocampus. In a single nod, the two animals raced forward, moving through the water as fast as they could go.

They did tricks and moved high and moved low, all trying to get past the other. Naruto pulled ahead thanks to a rocky shelf-face they swung by quickly, cutting off the prince who merely smirked and poured on the speed.

He closed in on Naruto again, but the boy suddenly dove down and skirted so low to the ground that Hippothoon's tail nearly slapped the bottom of the ocean floor, the sandy dust cloud spiraling out from the contact. He laughed and pulled up, angling away from the reef that was beginning to form below, passing by several coral farmers as they went. Orm managed to pass him by, and Naruto frowned.

Pushing positive impressions with his mind, Hippothoon responded accordingly, and in one swift kick of his tail, they were neck and neck. Naruto tucked himself closer into the animal's neck, hoping to gain more speed, but as he looked down, he realized something was wrong.

The latch that hadn't been working earlier was hanging by a thread. He reached down haphazardly and tried to grab it, to hold the saddle in place, but Hippothoon lurched one too many times, and the entire saddle flew off.

"Naruto!" shouted Orm as the blonde kid was tumbling through the water, moving far too fast toward the ocean floor below them to recover.

Doing the only thing he could think of, he held out his hands to brace his impact and shouted, **"Pnuema peristrofí!"**

A blast of blue light enveloped his vision, and a spinning vortex of wind suddenly sparked to life. He was slapped by the pressure change of wind and water mixing, hard enough that the wind cushioned his fall. He landed hard on the ground, pain overwhelming him, and the last thing he saw were bubbles swarming his vision and the shocked face of Prince Orm on his hippocampus, far above him.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 23, 19:16 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TEN**

The second Orm entered the room with Orin at his side and no Naruto in sight, Mera and Savenna's heart sank. "There's been an accident," Orm declared softly. "Naruto is already at the hospital now, but he's not doing well."

The two women moved frantically, upset and temperamental. Mera asked near constant questions on the way, trying to get the whole story, and the minute that she knew all the details, she turned on the prince. "You should have made sure his saddle was safe!"

"I double-checked it!" he shouted. "I would never let him get hurt intentionally. He must have pushed Hippothoon too hard, and the saddle came loose."

Mera just ignored him, despite Orin's soft look to make sure she'd calm down. The concern was evident on his face, and she was already considering their earlier conversation.

"Will he be okay?" asked Savenna.

"They don't know yet," the king replied. "They mentioned something about a possibility of brain damage, but-" Mera couldn't contain the slight whimper at the sound of that, "it's rare for an injury like that."

Orm glanced at Mera. "It should have been worse, given how fast and how low we were. We should be lucky he's alive."

Mera wanted to hit the man for trusting him to keep Naruto safe, but also hit herself for allowing him that opportunity. The prince was just a dumb kid who was too self-absorbed to watch a child, but Orin never agreed with that.

It didn't take very long for the four of them to arrive at the room where Naruto was being held. The fact that Orin was there made this trip much easier than intended, and the second that she found the unconscious boy lying in a bed, a nurse applying nutrient-rich water with sorcery, she was just so terrified.

"Do you have any idea when he'll wake up?"

The nurse frowned and shook her head. "It could be hours. It could be a few days. His body has to attempt to heal first, before we can make any major decisions. The potential brain damage that the doctor saw earlier has already disappeared, so he should be fine. He's got two broken ribs on the left side," the nurse pointed to his left arm, which was bandaged heavily, "and his fin snapped. It's going to take a long time for him to recover, but he's not in any life-threatening danger."

The calm that settled over the room was almost immediate, but after a few minutes, Mera glanced at Orin. "Can I have a moment alone with you, King Orin?"

Everyone took the message and left, leaving the two of them alone with Naruto's unconscious form.

"Did Orm tell you?"

She paused with what she was going to say. "Tell me what?"

"The boy repeated that spell and it saved his life," Orin explained. "It's the only reason he's alive, but he swore not to tell anyone, even the doctor."

Her heart sunk, but a small part of her was proud of him. The boy she considered... her son. She was going to do everything in her power to protect him.

"You're right," Orin said after a long moment of silence. "We have to know. If he carries the Curse of Kordax, then moments like this will continue to happen, and we need to know how to keep him safe if it's true." The king presented her with an old coin and a small scroll. "Put these away on your person. They'll let you get in. As soon as Naruto wakes up, the two of you are heading there."

"Would it even make sense for him to come? Last I checked, your kind isn't allowed there."

Orin could only frown. "It's the only option we have. They need to see him. We can't keep having things like this happen, and perhaps they can know more about him if the gods see what they wrought."

* * *

**That's all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. I struggled really hard to make this one around the same number of words as the previous one, but hopefully, that won't be a problem anymore in the future. **

**Good to see so many people have voted in the poll for pairing. I like what I've seen so far. **

**This fic is so much fun to write. I had to post again as soon as possible. :D Let me know what you thought in a review!**


	3. Foreboding Isle

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties.**_

* * *

_**.:03:.  
Foreboding Isle**_

**MEDITERRANEAN SEA  
JANUARY 8, 11:22 UTC+2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE NINE**

Naruto stirred awake suddenly. An incredibly bright light surrounded him, brighter than the brightest he had ever seen. _Am I still dreaming?_ It warmed his skin, skin that seemed too dry... Air flowed in and out of his nose and mouth, the gills on his shoulders lightly shaking without water. Tiny spurts of water hit him like mist, but it was not enough to feel remotely normal.

He let his senses clear, realizing he was sitting on the back of Hippothoon. The hippocampus sent tiny, primitive thoughts of concern to his mind, but the boy was too groggy to return them. His feet were submerged in water, but most of his body was above the surface. The clouds seemed far too bright, the sun shining down on his skin and bringing him too much warmth. Compared to the cool ocean water, it was slightly jarring.

"I have a cloak for you to use, if the sun is bothering you," the familiar voice said. He realized he was sitting in front of Mera on Hippothoon's back, as the ocean steed leisurely headed through odd territory. The open ocean was vast, and he couldn't see any land anywhere around them.

He nodded lightly as Mera reached into her pack, before draping his sensitive skin in the dark fabric. "How come it doesn't bother you?"

She chuckled. "This isn't my first time to travel to the surface, like it is yours." She wrapped her arms around him carefully, smiling. "The sun won't bother you after a few hours, and you'll get used to it sooner every time you come out of the water."

Naruto was thankful. He knew the stories of Atlanteans heading into the surface, but they were mostly legends. To hear from Mera that the experience was not actually uncommon demystified the experience.

"Where are we?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. "What are we doing?"

Mera sighed slightly. "We are currently a few kilometers from where we are headed, all thanks to Hippothoon. He's done a great job so far." She lightly stroked the back of his scaly head, which the animal greatly appreciated.

"He's awesome, isn't he?"

"That he is. You know, I never approved of Orin buying him for you, but when I went to the stables, he was the only one who would let me approach. I wish I could get inside his head to understand why."

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, he's picky." At the mention of the stables, he remembered what had happened, but some of the details weren't there. He looked down, just to check to see that the saddle was latched correctly. He would hate to have something like that happen again.

"Don't worry, it's safe." There was a venom in her voice that he knew wasn't aimed at him, but he hoped it wasn't aimed at anyone else. It wasn't anyone's fault that the saddle broke. "I'm glad _you're_ safe."

He smiled, bending his head to look up at her motherly face. He felt content, practically in her arms and covered by her cloak. The only thing that would make this experience better would be if Savenna and Orin were close by.

"We are heading to consult the gods," she explained, to Naruto's surprise.

"Why are we going up here to pray? Wouldn't it have been easier to go to the temple like we always do?"

Mera frowned. "Yes, it would have been easier. But we wouldn't have gotten a direct answer."

He considered that for a moment, but he didn't really understand what she was saying. He'd always prayed and felt like they answered his prayers. Poseidon and the other gods worked in mysterious ways, after all. Savenna always told him that sometimes he didn't truly need something, like the time when he prayed for the gods to change his eye color.

"There's a place where we can talk to them directly, face to face so to speak," she explained. "We need to ask them about you."

Naruto stared ahead, confused. He didn't like the sound of her voice, like she was worried- no, she was scared. _Why is she scared of me? _"But why me, Mera? What do the gods know?"

The woman gripped his shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about right now. You just need to be prepared. It's not a friendly place for boys like you, but don't take anything they say personally."

Naruto wondered where they were going that would have such a problem with boys.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
JANUARY 8, 11:27 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE NINE**

Orin stepped into the Atlantean Science Center, hoping to understand what was going on. Orm was right behind him, pestering him about the reason for their visit. The king sighed and passed through the door, waving to the workers who greeted him with a bow.

He really disliked the formality; he felt like a teenager, not a king. It still bothered him to see the people bowing to him, but Orm seemed to take it in stride and return the gesture with all the formality he could muster. The older brother suppressed a grin.

"So why are we here to see him?"

"Must you be so impatient, brother?" Orin said with a smile, before turning the corner and heading into the lab of the Chief Science Advisor, Vulko. The king surveyed the large round room, wishing he knew how many of the gadgets and machines functioned. A combination of surface technology, Atlantean technology, and sorcery made it all work, but that was all he knew. The bearded scientist turned his head at their arrival, before rushing over and awkwardly bowing.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Thank you for responding to my summons so quickly."

"Well, you said it was urgent. What's going on?"

"Is something wrong, Vulko?" asked Orm.

The scientist shook his head. "No, my prince. Quite the opposite." He ushered them over to the table, and the king showed him the petri dish. A tiny crimson and orange substance sat there, but Orin recognized it quite easily.

"It's the crystal." Orm shot a look at him, but Orin didn't explain any more about it.

"A cheap replica, actually," the man explained, before throwing several pages of data at him. The king had no idea how to read any of it, but Orm demanded to see it. "It holds nowhere near the same energy content that the crystal contained, and this is as much as I could make without more funding."

The king frowned at the insinuation, but was prepared to allocate resources to Vulko's lab if this would help Atlantis as a whole. "Start from the beginning, please."

Vulko nodded. "I spent weeks- no, months analyzing the properties of the crystal when Naruto arrived, but I couldn't understand it completely. I hit a dead end for years and moved onto other projects. But someone suggested something a few months ago, and I've been working on this independently ever since.

"The crystal is a radioactive organic solid, but because of its origins, it doesn't seem to match any known properties. The elements are the same, but their shapes and compositions differ ever so slightly." He pointed to a picture of its shape on a microscopic level. "It appears to be alive, sir."

Orin nodded in understanding, but his brother was captivated and confused. "Does this have to do with the demon?" the younger teen whispered.

"It's possible," Vulko explained. "I assume that is the case, but assumptions are not scientific. The important thing to know about the crystal is that it is filled to the brim with energy molecules loosely compacted into cells with minuscule nuclei. But these energy molecules are supposed to be theoretical, not actual; they do not rely on the adenosine triphosphate complex."

"But that's impossible," Orm explained, understanding a bit more than Orin did; his brother was the one with the brains, after all. "All living things rely on energy produced by ATP. It can't be alive then."

"By our understanding of what life is, it cannot," Vulko said, rubbing a hand through his beard; the very idea of what he was talking about excited him. "But this crystal comes from another world, where the same rules may not apply. Let me show you this."

He swam quickly over to his desk and pulled a file, rifling through it and pulling the viable information. "The hospital wouldn't have known what to look for, but I did. Look at this."

Orin was handed a sheet of paper, including a spot analysis of someone's blood and the nutrients contained within. He peeked at the top of the paper and audibly gasped, offended. "Why do you have Naruto's blood records?"

Vulko frowned. "I did not mean to upset you, my king. I merely had to be sure. But don't you see?! You'll be glad that I did." He took the page and pointed to another microscopic image of the crystal. "Trace amounts of the same kind of energy molecules found in the substance were also found in Naruto's blood, and compared to other Atlantean and human blood samples, he is the only one who contains it."

Orin supposed it made sense, but it was troubling information. Naruto was from another world or dimension, as was the Kyuubi that had protected him through his journey, and the two of them were powered by an unknown energy source. What concerned him more was the idea that the Kyuubi might still be inside of his body, influencing him, if the demon had the same kind of energy flowing through him. The king wished he could easily contact Mera and add another thing to the list of things to ask them, but he would have to settle.

"However, he also uses ATP, and it is the primary source of energy within his body," explained Vulko. "Still, even so, the boy has always been active and never seems to get exhausted easily. I think this is the reason; he has some kind of second source of energy within his body."

Orm handed back whatever research he had in his hands. "Does that mean the crystal is still in his body or affecting him?"

The scientist shook his head. "No. The naturally-occurring crystal was destroyed, too radioactive for a long half-life." He gestured to the small portion of crystal he had built. "Thanks to Naruto's blood content and the data I had before, I was able to reverse-engineer a crystallized group of cells with similar properties, but with only a tiny amount of energy. The same kind of molecule is difficult to create so I had to use our inefficient by comparison ATP, but I assure you that I can keep trying."

"You just need money," Orin concluded. "I don't see how this can go wrong, so I will grant your request. Harnessing this power could prove useful. But I warn you not to let this go to your head, Vulko."

"If you can successfully recreate this, you'll have created a form of life," Orm said. His wide eyes were mystified by the idea. "A strange one we'll probably never understand, but a life nonetheless."

* * *

**AEGEAN SEA  
JANUARY 8, 16:49 UTC+2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE NINE **

The second Mera found the general area of the island, she was almost sure that she had steered them past it. Atlantis didn't deal with them very often, due to a strict difference in ideals, but this situation required it.

When she saw the multi-colored mist, her eyes trained to see mystical disturbances, she knew she had discovered it. The shimmering fog, dancing between colors every time she focused on any one color, covered every inch of the island and a perimeter a few kilometers away from it, but she was sure she had found it. The magic was imbued with the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, and served as a boundary between the mortal world and the island beyond.

Some small part of her was jealous that they had such a powerful connection with the gods, but Atlantis didn't. The undersea kingdom relied on their own sorcery, so perhaps that was the problem.

She halted Hippothoon, much to Naruto's surprise. Their steed seemed surprised and squeaked out a cry, and the boy laughed like he was talking to a friend. _Orin and Naruto share a lot in common_, she realized.

"Why did we stop, Mera?"

She fished out the drachma, the ancient Atlantean coin, from her robe. "Because we're here. Chances are, they are already watching the boundary in front of us. You need to be prepared, because I don't know what's going to happen the second I throw this coin."

He looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean?"

She grinned and gripped his shoulder with one hand. "Just watch." She hurled the coin into the boundary, and for a split second, she worried that it hadn't worked. But a space before her shimmered with golden light, before expanding into a shape that resembled the Greek letter "alpha." The protective mist fell away inside that shape, and Naruto was in awe.

"That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen."

She laughed at his use of English, wishing she knew more of it than she did. Hippothoon crossed the barrier and the coin immediately vanished, as did the barrier. She assumed that it was sent to Iris as payment, but she wouldn't be surprised if it was rigged to go into the vaults on the island.

Paradise Island itself was a beautiful sight. Everything beyond the barrier seemed cleaner, the air crisper, the sunlight brighter, as though nature was in perfect harmony. Surrounding the island were six giant statues of the six female Olympian gods, equidistant from each other and running along the perimeter of the island. Each of them held one arm up and one arm out, touching the edge of the barrier with each hand. She couldn't see it from where she was, but she knew the center of the island held another statue, this time of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. Mera herself was as awed as Naruto was at the sight.

"What is this place?"

As though to answer his question, a dark-haired woman dressed in a brilliant white dress flew towards Naruto and Mera, causing the hippocampus to cower lightly in fear. The blue-eyed woman drifted down to oppose her, a brilliant falchion blade glinting in the sunlight and pointed directly at the blonde boy wrapped in a cloak.

"Who are you to have come to Themiscyra, of all places, with a man?"

Naruto practically gripped Mera's thigh as though it was the only thing protecting him. Mera wondered if that was actually the case. Certainly if the boy had found his way here all alone, somehow, he would have been skinned alive and offered as a sacrifice.

"Princess Diana, my name is Mera, and I have come here by royal Atlantean decree of King Orin, the Lord of the Seven Seas and ruler of Poseidonis," she said as formally as she could muster. The woman before her was known worldwide by many names, and Mera would never be powerful enough to challenge this woman. She truly had the right to be called Wonder Woman. Mera reached into her pocket, causing the princess to flinch, before bringing up the scroll with the royal seal.

Diana approached carefully, her sword never leaving her hand, and took it from her, very confident in her power but not wanting to provoke a fight. Mera filed away that information of her body language, in case it became relevant.

"You're very pretty," Naruto said with a toothy grin, and the woman just stared at him. "And that sword is awesome."

Mera wanted to make him shut up, but perhaps the woman before her could be flattered. Naruto was only a child after all, so surely she would understand the outburst to be from ignorance, not stupidity.

The woman finished her reading of the contents of the scroll, before locking eyes with the boy, and then with Mera. "Come with me. I understand your plight, perhaps better than my mother will. She will not forgive you for bringing the boy to the island easily, but the suggestion in the scroll will perhaps suffice."

Mera nodded, but hoped she would not have to use it. The Queen of the Amazons was not known for her mercy, so she would likely take them up on their offer, if only to avoid killing him for coming anywhere near the island.

Naruto and Mera spurred Hippothoon forward until they approached the island's beaches, where several Amazonian soldiers had assembled diligently, dressed from head to toe with armor. Some wore battle skirts and ancient helmets, all holding spears. Some were also archers and others swordsmen, but all were looking pointedly at her and the boy, as though their presence was a huge offense.

"How dare you bring a man onto the island?!" shouted a redhead near the front of the ten-person force, a scar running along her cheek, her hair sticking out from the back of her helmet in a ponytail.

"Quiet, Artemis," Diana said, earning a wide-eyed look from Naruto. "He is merely a boy who has not yet been learned in all the ways of mankind."

Mera frowned at the suggestion, but it was most likely true and perhaps the only reason the two had not been killed on the spot.

The blonde boy, however, turned to the tall woman. "You're Artemis! You're probably my favorite goddess! Where are your wolves? They're so awesome!"

The Atlantean woman gasped at the outburst, but the redheaded Amazon guffawed at his stupidity. "I am no goddess, boy. I simply bear her Greek namesake, as does Diana bear her Roman one."

The princess nodded lightly before leading them up the winding staircase that lead into the better part of the city. The soldiers followed them in rank, escorting the two strangers up the premises.

Mera grasped the boy's hand tighter as they passed through an archway that led into a huge square centered around a fountain with statues of naiads, and several streets passed through it that most likely crisscrossed most of the island's inhabited section. They only lived on a small segment of the much larger isle, the rest untouched by womankind.

The square was inhabited by hundreds of women, all in varying states of dress, but most wore their armor. Mera thought that was interesting; the Amazons were a warrior culture, more so than Atlantis, but there seemed to be civilian women who lived there as well. Or perhaps they were merely off-duty.

Needless to say, they were not giving Naruto pleasant looks, although they didn't dare question the princess like Artemis had. The woman herself was standing directly behind Naruto, holding her spear tightly.

"Let me do the talking from now on, all right?" she said with a slight grimace; the boy merely nodded. "If you interrupt the Queen, I'm certain that your tongue will be spiked outside for all to see."

"If you're lucky, kid, your head won't join it," Artemis added with a slight grin.

Mera wanted to make it clear she didn't appreciate her comment, but she was interrupted when they passed a dryad who seemed positively livid to see him. The female tree spirit, who probably belonged to a juniper or an oak tree from the looks of her leaf-like hair, practically hissed like a jungle cat and Naruto nearly jumped to hold onto Mera's leg.

"These women are scary," the boy muttered.

"No scarier than they think you are," she replied with a whisper.

No other incidents happened as they were led up the next set of stairs, widening with each stone step until they reached the palace, a huge building that looked like a fancier version of the Parthenon, stone columns as untouched by time as the women who lived in its presence. Mera couldn't help but admire its elegance; Poseidonis would never allow such a building to be built in honor of Athena, and most of Atlantis venerated Poseidon above all else. The Amazons virtually followed the sea god's intellectual opposite, Athena herself. The rivalry stretched back to Athens' inception, and would likely never change.

The princess stopped outside, the contingent following her lead. Mera had to practically jerk Naruto back when he tried to go inside without the woman's approval.

"You should have come alone, Mera," the princess said. "This boy will not impress the Queen."

The redheaded teenager nodded. "Perhaps you are right." The blonde boy did not object, but she knew he wanted to.

"Artemis, stand watch outside while I escort them inside the palace. I assure you that I will be more than enough to handle the two water-breathers if they try anything clever." The princess walked them in, and Mera had to fight from feeling offended. While the woman had fought to protect women everywhere during the second World War as a member of Alpha Squadron, she did not feel the need to spread the same love to her Atlantean counterparts. But perhaps that was merely her bias against Themiscyra talking.

When she escorted them inside, Naruto gasped upon seeing how amazing everything was inside. And it truly was amazing. The rug was a masterpiece, and artwork lined the walls. Sunlight streamed into the room and ran across the floor. Perfectly-proportioned columns lined the entire room, holding up the angled roof. Picturesque carvings showed stories of ancient battles, long forgotten to most of history.

In the center of the room was a throne, and slightly behind it was the giant golden statue of Athena known as the Athena Parthenos. She suddenly felt very unwelcome under its jeweled giant gaze, piercing into her very mind.

"Diana?! What is the meaning of this? Who are these intruders, and why has a male stepped foot on Themiscyra? And a water-breather no less!"

The voice of the queen rang out before Mera actually saw her, and in a few short breaths, a very pretty woman with blonde hair curled around her angular face stepped into view from behind the statue. Her chiton dress was pure white, almost identical to the one her daughter wore. The woman carried herself proudly, a glass of red wine in hand, and a bronze circlet wrapped around her head. Her jewelry was truly magnificent.

"Mom, is that a boy?!" Another voice shouted, and a little girl with dark black hair that curled in front of one eye and hung down to her shoulders appeared from behind her. Mera clamped down her hand on Naruto's shoulder to ensure he didn't reply.

"Mother, please give them a moment of your time. They come with a request, sent by the king of Atlantis himself," Diana said, walking over elegantly to hand her the scroll. "Have mercy on them. They have traveled a long way, and truly mean Themiscyra no harm."

"You've grown soft on outsiders, Diana," the woman said before roughly taking the royal decree; Mera almost flinched when she did, afraid that the queen would rip it in half out of spite. "Donna, go back to your room."

The little girl that had nearly provoked a reaction out of the boy frowned before leaping off of the ground and flying spiritedly toward a doorway behind the statue, disappearing up the stairwell. Mera was always amazed to see an Amazon fly; not unlike Naruto and Orin's telepathic ability, natural flying was uncommon but still sometimes manifested. She knew of legends of Amazonian items granting the ability, but Donna had not possessed any of them. The woman who was once known as Wonder Woman was the same.

"I apologize if I offended in any way," Mera began. "We merely lacked a choice, because no one else can answer our questions but the gods themselves, and you and your people are our only option."

The queen did not speak as she finished reading the decree, before rolling it together calmly. The woman walked forward and stepped into the light of the room, the sunlight glinting off her dress. The expression on her face was of calm temperament, but she didn't know how to truly read the nearly eternal woman before her.

"I understand the situation. I can certainly see the resemblance this boy shares with Kordax, in nearly all the ways that your king does." The way she spoke the name made it sound like it was the most detested of all the things in the world. For some Atlanteans, that was probably the case. "And for that very reason, I should decline your request, simply on the grounds that you brought the cursed boy here like a taint that could have easily spread to the island's inhabitants."

Mera doubted that was how curses worked, assuming the curse existed at all, to spread like a sickness. It was supposedly placed by the gods, and if Naruto did possess it, they were the only beings that could rectify it. "Should? Could?"

"I _should_ say no and send your truly offensive bodies back to the seas in pieces," Queen Hippolyta explained without a second thought. "But I can see the mother's love you have for the boy from another world." She gestured behind her. "It's not unlike my own situation with my youngest daughter, who was brought here as an infant from Man's World only five years ago. I love her like my own, and I couldn't imagine losing her to a situation that was beyond her control."

Mera could hardly believe what she was hearing. The queen known for being icy and heartless was sympathizing with her situation? Still, despite that, she and Naruto bowed (a helpful hand on the boy's shoulder to guide him into following her gesture) and stood up. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

The woman nodded. "Yes. Of course, I will have to follow your suggestion written in the decree; the boy's memory of being on the island will be wiped away like it never existed. You will never be allowed to tell him that he visited the Amazons, and I will not vouch for him should the curse take shape as seems to be intended."

Naruto shot his head up and started to argue, but she shot him a look back to shut him up. "Yes, Queen Hippolyta. That's the only choice we have."

* * *

**PARADISE ISLAND  
JANUARY 8, 19:02 UTC+2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE NINE**

"I can't believe that they are going to make me forget," he said with a grimace; how could Mera allow that to happen? "Why?"

Diana continued to lead them into the darker parts of the island, through a cavernous system that supposedly led where they needed to go. Mera did not seem nervous about where the princess was taking them, but Naruto was not as okay with it as he could be.

With each step, it felt like it was getting darker and darker, despite the torches that lined the walls and the occasional glowing glyph of Ancient Greek. He wondered how easily it would be for Diana to kill them now, because clearly he wasn't supposed to be here.

Surprisingly, it was the dark-haired woman who spoke up. "That was the most merciful that I have seen her in months. She must truly sympathize with you, Mera." Diana stopped and knelt before the boy to get on his level. "Wiping your memory of ever visiting here is perhaps the only way she felt she could spare you. It's truly the only option that allows you to live."

"It definitely doesn't fit her reputation to be so merciful," Mera said, trying to make him feel better with holding him closer as they continued through the cavernous tunnel system. "It might cost him the memory of the trip, but I'm sure I can still learn what I need to know about the situation and tell him later."

Naruto hated feeling so left out of the loop. Why did he come at all? What was the point in him coming? He made a point to ask her, assuming that he would get the chance.

Diana continued through until they came upon what looked to be a huge set of double-doors, seemingly made of gold and bronze and dark Stygian-iron. "Once you get inside, I can't follow you. The two of you are on your own within this room. How familiar are you, Mera, with how you need to ask a question and receive an answer?"

The redhead nodded. "I studied everything that we have collected over the years about the Aegis, from legend and fact."

Diana nodded. "Good." She pressed a hand to the door. "May I speak candidly?"

"Yes," Naruto said, answering her candidly himself. He could feel the other Atlantean's eyes boring into his shoulder.

The woman smiled slightly. "I truly do hope you find the answers you seek. He may be a boy, but his situation is far beyond your power to understand. I would go to any lengths to protect the people I love, and this child is surely no exception."

Mera beamed, but Naruto was puzzled. "Uh... did you just say you loved me?"

Mera sighed lightly and just laughed. "I'm sorry, Princess. He is... an interesting child."

Diana laughed lightly. "No need to apologize. We were speaking candidly." With a single hand, the twenty-five foot tall door opened, and Naruto was in awe of how powerful the woman would have to be to move that. He was starting to wonder if everyone on the island actually _was_ a goddess, and not just bearing the name of them.

Naruto followed Mera past the double doors, and with a great slam, the doors closed. Everything was completely dark, save for the giant shield adorning the wall in front of them. It was soaked in what seemed to be golden light, the same color as what it would look like if torches lit the room. On the face of the shield was a carving of the head of Medusa, the Gorgon that Theseus beheaded, her snake-like hairs weaving in and out of the frame.

"What is that?" he finally asked, too dumb-founded to actually say anything.

"That is the Aegis," she said. "The shield of Zeus and Athena, who each carried it into battle to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. The spirits of battle that inhabit its surface will help us to contact the gods directly."

Naruto both loved and hated to look at the face of this giant shield. It was the only object in the room, save for them, and it seemed very dangerous to be underground trying to speak to it. If he had had time, he would have loved to ask her why the Amazons placed it underground, in the realm of Hades, instead of on the top of the mountain where it would be closest to Zeus.

She forced him to stand next to it, directly in front of the bottom-most snake-head, that stuck outward from the shield slightly and sat with its mouth open, daring them to stick in a finger. He was barely paying attention when Mera suddenly did stick out her pointer finger and slashed her skin against the tooth, the blood dripping from it.

"What did you do that for?"

"A sacrifice," she explained. "Place your finger onto the other tooth and slide across it. It will hurt but the pain will dull in a few seconds."

He held up his hand and stared at it a moment, before sticking out his thumb, allowing the Aegis to bite into his skin and take the blood. He hoped she wouldn't ask why he used his thumb instead of his pointer finger, because he wasn't sure he knew how to explain it. She didn't, thankfully.

The two of them waited for a few short, agonizing moments, but the lightly glowing shield finally absorbed the blood into its fangs, and as though it were alive, the snake's head slid back into the shield.

Naruto backed away lightly when the Aegis began to vibrate and glow brighter, and in one single instant, the golden snakes all whirred to life and coalesced into one single point, before extending outward in what looked like a wheel formation with eleven spokes and twelve spaces. The eyes of the head of the Gorgon in the center of the Aegis glowed with light blue light, a stark contrast to the orange and red torch-light that seemed to be coming from the shield itself.

"As a member of his chosen people, I wish to speak with Poseidon," Mera said with a slight moment of hesitation. Naruto had no idea if this would work, but so far, it seemed to be. "I humbly honor thee, Poseidon, and wish to speak to you regarding a personal matter that only you may answer."

Nothing more happened for several moments, until Mera suddenly nudged him. He clammed up as he realized he would have to say something. "As a member of his chosen... persons, let me talk to Poseidon. I need to talk to you, sir."

The eyes shifted suddenly, before pointing down at the two Atlanteans. **"Mera. Naruto. I have been looking forward to speaking to you face to face."**

Naruto's eyes widened at the possibility that they were speaking to a god, especially the god of the sea. He had to wonder if this was some kind of sham that the Amazons were pulling.

**"I assume that they would not be above such trickery, but I assure you, Naruto, that I am legitimate."**

"Oh, great Poseidon!" Mera bowed and Naruto followed suit, too stunned to actually comprehend this; he was speaking to the progenitor of the oceans! "Do you already know the subject of this?"

**"Yes, I do. You wish to know if the boy bears the same curse that led my brothers and sisters to abandon your people, as well as to understand the nature of the boy's birth and his journey to this world, and the power he seems to possess."**

This was news to Naruto... what was he talking about? He had often wondered why he didn't refer to Mera and Orin as mother and father, despite the fact that they certainly seemed to fit that description. Was this because he belonged to someone else... in another world? What did that mean? Was that like what Hippolyta had been referring to about her youngest daughter, whoever that was?

**"He does not bear the Curse of Kordax, as he is not of this world to receive it."** Mera immediately sighed with relief. **"But I will not be able to guarantee that the people who wish him misfortune will not assume that he does not possess it."**

Naruto's eyes widened. _What curse?_

"What about the scroll?"

**"The contents of the scroll were legitimate. Naruto's parents were from another plane of existence, temporally and spatially parallel to this plane. His journey through the planes of existence destroyed the demonic entity that his parents died trying to suppress."**

"What is this demon they spoke of?" Mera asked, and the word died in Naruto's throat. _A demon, like the Furies or the telekhines?_

**"The demon is not of the Underworld or Tartarus, but a beast made entirely of an energy source known as chakra that is common to the people of that plane. In fact, Naruto bears the remnants of what chakra he once had in his body, although it has adapted to fit _this_ plane in an interesting way. That chakra has an elemental affinity for wind, and is the source of his ability to use a form of Atlantean sorcery that most cannot use."**

Naruto stared at the eyes of the shield, although he wasn't aware that spell he learned was something most couldn't use. "But the demon or whatever it was is gone?"

**"I cannot be certain, as this is something I simply cannot know. I can tell you that the creature was destroyed like your parents predicted, but I can't be certain that it will not return in the future like the monsters of our plane. Much of your situation is unique, Naruto, and unforeseen even to us."**

He frowned, wishing he could know everything the god knew about him. Finally, Mera stared at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you tell me anything else the boy needs to know in order to survive?"

The god did not answer, his eyes fading and the Aegis returning to the way things were before they arrived. "Hey! Why didn't he answer?!"

"Because that wasn't something specific we came to know," she said solemnly. "That was almost too easy, but Poseidon has no reason to lie to us. If we had asked any of the other gods for help, they wouldn't have responded the same way, if at all."

Naruto was swimming with all the ideas in his head that he couldn't understand, but the biggest question on his mind was why Mera and Orin had kept these things from him.

* * *

**PARADISE ISLAND  
JANUARY 9, 00:04 UTC+2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE NINE**

When they finally arrived on the surface of the island, and after Mera dodged all of his impossible to answer questions until she could understand how to respond, Hippolyta and several Amazonian warriors were already waiting, the moonlight dancing over their skin. Diana joined them, as did Donna stepping next to her mother confidently.

Mera realized it was probably too late to answer all of her questions now. She hated the idea that all of this would have to go back into secret, from Naruto at least, and they would have to reveal all of it to him in a different way again. But if he had not come, there's no way she would have been able to get as much as she did.

"Did you get the answers you sought?" Hippolyta asked.

It was a legitimate question, but the only true question answered was that the curse did not apply to him. Naruto would be able to live past the age of eighteen, which Orin finally did despite the Elders' assumption he wouldn't and that a blonde, telepathic king wouldn't live to be old enough to take the throne. Naruto would not live a life of repeated misery, and would be allowed to achieve happiness after death. All of that was so happy to hear from her.

But all the other information was merely a confirmation of the scroll's information, and chakra as the reason for why he could use wind magic. Naruto could be freely trained in its uses without worry that he would cause danger to others, as long as he performed it outside. Inside their pressurized rooms, it was too dangerous, like what happened at the library.

"Yes. We did," she explained. "The boy is not any more dangerous or cursed than anyone else."

The Amazonian queen nodded. "Good."

In a motion that most wouldn't have seen, Mera watched as a foot soldier slipped behind Naruto and hit a certain point with a small pinch, leaving him on the ground, unable to move. She wanted to cry out in horror, but Diana gave her a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry," the princess said. "He will wake up without anything but a small headache that will go away in a few hours. He has to be unconscious for the memory loss to take hold."

The woman nodded, already having to calm the energy within her body that she hadn't realized she was preparing; it was a blessing that her tattoos did not light out of outrage. If they had attacked him in a different way, she was certain that the river next to them would have diverted its path to roll over the entire group of soldiers waiting at the mouth of the cavern, including the queen and the two princesses as well. Assuming Wonder Woman didn't gut her first for even trying.

Within a few minutes, they force-fed him the enchanted milk from the river Lethe, and she was escorted toward the beach with Naruto in tow. Hippolyta did not follow, but Diana and Donna did. The little girl waved lightly as they boarded Hippothoon, and Mera couldn't wait to leave fast enough.

"Thank you for your help," she said truthfully to the dark-haired woman before her. "I don't think I'll ever know how to thank you."

The woman nodded. "I doubt I did much, but I'm sure you'll find a way. Look me up in Washington D.C. in the next few months."

Donna gasped. "What are you talking about?"

The woman just laughed at her little sister. "Oh, nothing, sister. I'm just thinking about seeing the world again, and figured that would be an interesting place to start. It's where the action is, after all."

* * *

_**Oh man, this one was fun to write, when I actually got to sit down and write it. Mera and Naruto's scenes flowed together so well, and playing with all the Paradise Island/Themiscyra stuff was fantastic. I wonder how many people guessed I was referring to the Amazons when I foreshadowed where they were headed last chapter?**_

_**Also, in YJ canon, Wonder Woman and Aquaman both started their careers (or in Wonder Woman's case, she restarted her career after almost 70 years) as superheroes in 2001, and this chapter takes place early 2001. I figured it would be fun to play with that part of the timeline.**_

_**Anyway, let me know what you guys thought in a review. I'm leaving the poll open until I post the next chapter, so if you haven't voted on the pairing, then you need to hop to it. This chapter ends the "childhood" saga, so next chapter we'll see Naruto in his teenage years or approaching them.**_


	4. Ends and Means

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties. **_

* * *

_**.:04:.  
Ends and Means**_

**MOUNT JUSTICE  
NOVEMBER 16, 01:16 EDT  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

The newly-installed computer interface activated, square holographic screens projecting from the glowing ring on the floor and the metallic apparatus above them. Orin couldn't imagine the surface ever having anything remotely resembling Atlantean sorcery, but as he reached forward to touch the blue-tinted screen, he had to smile upon seeing it react to his touch.

"It's a unique form of heat sensor that mimics a reaction to touch, since light is not normally tangible."

Orin spun around to see the man standing directly behind him, close enough that a knife was not unreasonable. "I have to admit, this technology is fantastic."

Another person entered the large central room of the compound from one of the hallways, dressed in civilian gear and a large green ring. "Well, it's cool. But my ring definitely beats this stuff." As though to show off, a green screen of light displayed from the ring, perfectly imitating the. "_And_ you can touch it."

"_Normally_ tangible," the darkly-dressed man emphasized. "That ring is certainly abnormal."

"Oh, come on, Batman. It's alien technology. Of course it isn't normal to us," the brunette man countered, before setting his bottle of soda down and holding up the ring. With a flash of green light, the projected screen faded and his green and black uniform appeared over his clothing, a mask projecting over his face. "What's the mission?"

Orin was interested as well; the island on the map display before him looked relatively new to him. He would have to check his sea charts to discover where it was and what he knew about it later. Even so, their objective must have involved that place.

The Batman gestured to the screen, following his touch commands as easily as he had suggested. The map was highlighted, as well as several key words and phrases. A name appeared on the screen. "This is the European island of Markovia, located twenty-five miles off the coast of Germany. During the aftermath of the second World War, the island was formally removed from German control, but informally remained a breeding ground for the country's underground research."

Hal seemed disgusted by the sound of that. "So what are we talking here? Eugenics?" Orin knew of the horrors of the Nazi movement, and if some vestige of their research remained, they would need to be removed. Atlantis often criticized the surface world because of this event, and was one of the examples that they cited to prevent the king from becoming Aquaman. Orin couldn't imagine his life without that part of his identity now.

"Yes and no," the man explained. "I would have to verify this personally, but information I have gathered through other sources indicates that they turned to cybernetics instead of genetics."

They both understood what that meant, but did not know what kinds of capabilities that could produce. "What else, Batman?" Aquaman asked.

The name was highlighted with a swipe of Batman's hand, pulling up a picture that looked far too old of a black-haired man wearing an old red uniform, saluting himself. "This is Baron Bedlam. What put this country under the international radar was the coup that placed him in power four years ago. He seems to have restarted their research the second he placed himself in the seat of power. Now, Markovia lies in the hands of a dictator instead of the descendants of the Markov family."

"A Nazi dictator," Orin declared.

Batman nodded. "Perhaps unofficially. The people, however, are rebelling against him, but their efforts are nonexistent thanks to his research. This is a covert mission to destroy that research."

Hal nodded. "I'm on board, Batman, but isn't this dangerous? We run the risk of destabilizing a nation during this kind of mission. That's not how we operate."

The Gotham native looked him dead in the eye. "That's why we fly under the radar. We only want to remove their illegal program. The rebels will remove Bedlam if they so wish."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
NOVEMBER 16, 07:39 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

When he found his way down to breakfast at the Conservatory, he quickly gathered his meal. The blonde boy was extremely ready, because it was finally time. Savenna and Mera were allowing him to take the first official step as a mage-in-training, although it was really a special case. Not many people around him were allowed to learn sorcery at his age, but there were early-inductee programs that were in place for others in similar situations. Thanks to his pull with both Orin and two senior instructors, he was going to be inducted as potentially the youngest inductee ever, to begin schooling at the start of the new year.

Getting actual formal training from the instructors and from the newest headmaster, Mera herself, was going to be fantastic. He was ready to be able to help Atlantis and its people. Other people were going to know his name and be proud of him, he was sure of it.

He glanced over to see Savenna speaking with some of the other instructors, and wondered if the woman would come and sit with him. It had never been a problem before, but he supposed it might be now; they were all worried he was getting special treatment already, but it might be crossing the line to sit with him so publicly.

So he didn't wave her over, consenting to eating his food alone without another thought. He tore into the kelp salad, the flavors spiced with anemone toxin. It tasted very good, one of his favorite dishes; it didn't hold a candle to boiled wakame, however.

"Funny to see a vegetarian with teeth like that," a voice said from behind him. The owner swam over his head with a skillful swim, dropping to sit at the table across from him. "And you've got those scaly fins on your hands too."

Naruto had never seen this kid before. He was a few years older than he was. He couldn't be older than ten or eleven, with striking blonde hair and blue eyes, nearly the same as Naruto's own. His face was angular and had a snotty look, his gills hidden under his clothing.

The boy sat down his plate, the ward activating automatically that held the plate and its contents to the table. The smell of the meat nearly made him salivate; Mera and Savenna were vegetarians, so he had followed suit. The only time he could remember ever having meat was on his sixth birthday, and while it had been good, he couldn't imagine actually eating it regularly. Orin had been the one to spoil him, and offered it to him in secret every once in a while. He never took the king up on the offer, however.

"You sure you don't want some of this?" asked the boy, sliding the plate over to him. The yellowtail looked really good.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I don't eat meat. Too-"

"Similar?" the boy cut in. "I guess for you, it would be like cannibalism."

"No," he countered. "We're all human. You know as well as I do that that's true."

The kid rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, shark-kid. My name is Ronal."

Naruto laughed at the nickname; the kid had obviously never met King Sha'ark or any of his relatives. "Naruto. Are you one of the new inductees?"

Ronal nodded. "Yep. I'm supposed to get my first tattoo today. I can't wait to learn something powerful."

The blonde only smirked. "You'll probably have to wait three months. Most of the initial teachings are all about sorcery theory."

Ronal looked at him like he was crazy. "How do you know so much about this?"

"I've lived here my whole life," he explained. "I'm being inducted as well, but I've already gone through a lot of the basics just by reading at the library. Haven't got a tattoo yet though obviously, but I suppose you and I will be in the same line a few hours from now."

Naruto could tell that this was getting under his skin, but he figured the boy would get over it soon enough when he realized how terrible Naruto was at studying anything that wasn't practical learning. Sorcery theory and mathematical applications were his most hated subjects by far, without even stepping foot in an official classroom.

"You think you're a big-shot, don't you?" Ronal asked with a menacing frown.

"No. I don't," he said truthfully. "But neither should you, just because you aren't a fish-head."

Ronal set his jaw, clearly angry, but did not move. After a quick moment, the boy left the table with his meal in tow, and Naruto had to ignore the smell of the meat following him. He took another bite of his own plate to clear his desire.

* * *

**MARKOVIA  
NOVEMBER 16, 04:31 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

The second he dropped into the cool water, diving so perfectly that he didn't splash, he spun like a corkscrew through the ocean, to gain top speed quickly. A glance overhead revealed the hazy shadow of the Bat-plane shimmering across the water, and a small green blip of light high in the sky.

He swam as hard as he could toward the island a few kilometers away, while still trying to remain stealthy. The island's sea defenses were negligible, especially for a single person swimming nearly forty kilometers per hour toward the island. It would be a different story, he supposed, if he were in a submarine. The mines were too large.

Batman and GL were heading from the air, the former by his jet and the latter by his ring. Hal was able to cast a sort of electromagnetic cloak around them to protect them from radar, although Batman was sure his plane wouldn't be seen in most circumstances. Orin had to admit that he would rather trust the ring than the jet, because at least the ring resembled sorcery.

Orin slipped out of the ocean with a simple leap, his powerful legs carrying him out of the water with a burst of speed. He flipped several arcs through the air and landed behind the line of motion detectors lining the rocky shore. Orin pulled a tiny bat-shaped object from his belt, wishing he understood how it worked. The second he placed it on the silver instrument, there was the sound of a circuit shorting out and he was sure it was complete.

"Done," the man said into his earpiece, before running through the dark of the tree line, his meeting place with the others in mind.

"Good job. The motion sensors and cameras are on a loop," Batman explained through the communications link. "Rally point B."

Orin turned and headed east, crossing a darkened dirt road that had fresh tire tracks, heading toward the more populated areas on the other side of the island. He stepped away from the road, and not a moment too soon.

A black and red patrol jeep sped through the island, carrying what looked like no less than six soldiers, dressed in uniforms matching the jeep's color scheme. Orin cursed when he spotted their glowing red eyes, all trained on him. "We've got company!"

They carried no obvious weapons, but when one of them jumped out of the jeep, he jumped far too high for a normal human, a certain spring in his step. _Who needs weapons when your body is one? _Orin realized.

The soldier spun in a high arc, leg extended and prepared to axe-kick him in the back of the head. The King of Atlantis held up an arm, and the instant the foot implanted against his forearm, he twisted and grabbed the soldier's leg, spinning in place and hurling the soldier against a tree. The tall plant shook in place, but the soldier's leg was in metallic pieces, revealing that he was at least partly robotic.

"They're robots!" shouted Hal into the communicator, obviously having encountered them on another part of the island.

"No, they are cybernetic," Batman corrected. "Still human, with mechanical improvements. I am starting to wonder if they actually developed this on their own; this is more advanced than I thought possible."

Orin rushed at the jeep, his inhibitions only slightly lowered at hearing this, and immediately jumped in a high arc over the vehicle, just in time to avoid one of them spitting flames from a nozzle in the center of his tongue. The powerful inferno burned where he once stood, but he ignored the arcing heat and tackled the jeep with his shoulder, denting it hard. He grabbed it under his fingers and then reached up, toppling the vehicle immediately. Two soldiers were stuck underneath it, struggling to move.

One punched him hard in the back, hard enough to bruise even his skin, but the cyborg wasn't prepared to receive an only slightly tempered fist from the strongest Atlantean on the planet. He flew several feet with a hole in his robotic chest, revealing a human heart connected to wires.

"The heart is human. Anything else that isn't mechanical?"

"The ring did a quick diagnostic," Hal explained into the comm device. "Most of the major organs have been replaced; only the heart is left, but the blood that runs through their tube-like veins is composed mostly of oil and battery acid. Their brains are glorified CPUs; these things basically are robotic corpses, because the human body couldn't withstand that much variation."

Orin felt a hint of despair for the people involved in Baron Bedlam's experiments. He doubted Markovia itself intended for the program to go this far, and it didn't surprise him to see why the people were rebelling against their leader. Bedlam was a horrible man who deserved to be stopped.

The last soldier backed away from him then, trying to gain some distance before he too suddenly decided to spit fire at him. Aquaman knew prolonged exposure was bad news, but when the fire licked the orange-scaled outfit, he was glad for the armor that protected him from the brunt of the heat.

He spun on a single heel through the flames, surprising the soldier, and a kick sent the cyborg flying hard into the back of the overturned jeep, hard enough he dented into it, his face crushed.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
NOVEMBER 16, 09:05 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

The anticipation was killing him when he finally got the opportunity to line up with the other inductees. Not surprisingly, he received several strange looks about why he was there.

One girl, who inexplicably had what looked like a jellyfish for a head, complete with tentacles running down her neck and a face etched in the side. "What is a young one like you doing here?"

"I'm going to be inducted just like you are," he answered simply, trying not to raise his voice as some people around him started to laugh at him. "Besides, you don't look that much older than I am."

The girl laughed, running a hand down her feminine body. "Kid, I've got the lifespan of a jellyfish. I'm much older than anyone else here. I'm probably older than the headmaster." Some of them laughed, but Naruto was unconvinced.

"So you are being inducted with the group of early-inductees like the rest of us, even though you're like thirty?"

The girl- err, woman?- turned away from him, a red color leaking into her odd head. "Well, technically I'm older than I look, but I don't remember most of it. I'm probably older than even thirty, but I only remember the last eleven years."

Naruto wanted to ask what she was referring to, when another person elbowed him in the back. "The jellyfish life cycle repeats. I guess she and her family do too, but they don't remember most of their lifetimes before." He nodded at the whale-tailed girl who answered his question before he could speak it.

The blonde just widened his eyes. The sheer diversity in Atlantis was interesting; he thought he was different with his shark teeth and fins, but this girl had the look and lifespan of a jellyfish, with a human body. With every breath she took, her skin turned translucent, revealing an interesting anatomy as well, before returning to flesh.

He didn't have much more time to think about it before Mera stepped into the room, bowing once before swimming up to a platform overlooking the senior mages prepared to grant them full access to the Conservatory, as well as the most basic of the tattoos. Naruto couldn't wait to see what his would look like; tattoos matched the inherent skill level or training that the mage already had, so most started with the simplest level. He had to wonder what his prior wind sorcery training would produce.

"Welcome to the Atlantean Conservatory of Sorcery's central location in Poseidonis!" the redhead stated, earning a small nod from most of the members. "My name is Mera, and I'm the headmaster of this institution. It pleases me to welcome you into our ranks on this day, and to provide you with the first tools to serve your homeland forevermore." She gestured to the senior mages who already had the specially-prepared octopus ink, bound with magical wards to unlock the energy within the Atlantean for his or her use. "As I'm sure most of you know, formal training does not begin until the start of the new year, but we will have opportunities for small group sessions beginning next week. If you are interested in getting a small step ahead, you may speak to one of the senior instructors. So without further ado, the proceedings will begin."

Naruto was far too anxious, but most of the other inductees were as nervous as he was. The line was slow, not due to the actual application process, but due to the number of inductees involved. Most received simplistic black lines that did not have much variation, nor an animal theme. When Ronal walked away from the line, he flashed Naruto a grin and held up his arm, the black ink cornering two times down his arm and ending with what looked like a crab claw on the back of his palm.

Naruto wondered what kind of magic that meant, or what kind of special ability it would have. Ronal must have some talent for sorcery, or he would have received the same kind of tattoo as anyone else.

When he finally realized it was his turn, he approached the table with a flourish and bowed lightly, an excited grin on his face. "I'm so happy!"

The mage in question, a pretty woman with black hair and dark skin, wasn't anyone he had ever met, so he figured that the three tattoo application mages had to be volunteers from one of the other kingdoms. Judging by the beautiful color of her skin, he wondered if she was from Shayeris. "Let's get you started. If you would, could you hand me your finger?"

A quick poke from a tiny needle revealed crimson blood lightly flowing out of it; a flash of incomprehensible memory ran across his mind. He followed her instructions, placing his finger in the ink blot prepared for him. A tiny tattoo appeared underneath the skin on both of her hands, glowing bright blue as she placed them on either side of the ink. He placed his other hand next to the first, an unharmed finger touching the ink.

"This may hurt, son. But the pain will fade in a mere few moments."

The ink suddenly lurched upward as though it was alive and burned into his skin; it was all he could do not to scream as it crawled up his body. The pain in any one location only lasted a few seconds, but as the ink crawled, more places began to burn with intensity. They glowed with a blue, almost silver light as they were completed, and the ink settled into his skin.

His own individual tattoos were more impressive than even Ronal's, which was sure to upset the other blonde. The ink swirled around his forearms three times and ended at his elbow, running along the inside of his arm up to his armpit. The tattoo wrapped around his arm fins and ended in a five-pronged pattern that reminded him of a starfish. He reached up to check underneath his shirt, revealing that the tattoos had connected in the center of his chest in a v-shape. Naruto smiled that it almost looked like an upside-down version of Aquaman's sigil, something he was very proud of.

The woman had obviously never seen anything like it, on someone his age, based on the look on her face. After a moment, she tempered her expression. "May it help you in your studies."

"I hope so," he said with a smile, feeling like he needed to scream with happiness. He glanced toward Mera, but the woman was busy speaking with the other instructors and had not noticed him.

He had to admit, he was a little upset that she had either not noticed or not cared. Shaking his head from that dark thought, he walked to where the other newly-inducted members were to chat with them about what's happening. He wanted her or Savenna to approach him, but neither did. He supposed it was for the best; they had to have a reason for it.

* * *

**MARKOVIA  
NOVEMBER 16, 04:58 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX **

The second he arrived at the rallying point, Orin was positively sure that the disguised metal door lead to the inner chambers they were trying to find, where they could wipe the research and possibly destroy the laboratory. There didn't seem to be any guards outside, so it had to be a secret entrance, or perhaps an exit, that Hal's ring had identified when scouting the island from above.

When the other two Justice League founders arrived alongside him, they didn't speak per Batman's silent order. GL's ring flashed alive with green light, and a crowbar construct suddenly appeared, wedging into the metallic doors that flickered out of the odd camouflage. Orin reached his fingers inside and pulled the opening apart with a great display of strength and leverage, and Batman immediately tossed a pellet of noxious fumes, purple smoke billowing out of the entryway and hopefully dispatching the potential guards.

When one of them jumped out, obviously not bothered by the smoke because of the mechanical replacement of a lung, Green Lantern reacted first and sent a small battering ram with a dragon's head into the doorway, smashing the robot against the wall and leaving him unconscious.

The three Leaguers disappeared inside as soon as it was clear they weren't going to get in covertly, and Batman slid into whatever training he had received over the years. Orin was shocked to see he had vanished, disappearing down a hallway. "You know what to do," his nearly silent voice barked into the communicator, so quiet he couldn't understand which hallway he had vanished into.

Orin nodded as GL read his diagnostic information out loud into the communicator, and both Batman and Orin had a general idea of where to go, if the Bat did not already. The Atlantean King split from Hal, disappearing into a side hallway and immediately regretting it.

What looked like some kind of cannon suddenly launched from the wall, as well as three of its friends, and Aquaman cursed under his breath.

Rolling out of the way of the first red blast of energy, he reached into his belt and yanked the tiny rod from it. With a flick of his wrist, a silver trident extended and he immediately slashed outward, chopping the gun in half as it exploded.

He punched the wall plating as hard as he could, wishing he could nurse his knuckles as the wall dented and prevented the next gun from hitting him directly. He jumped toward it, avoiding another explosive energy blast and stabbed it, vaulting over the gun and slashing at the next two.

After a short second, he nodded to force himself to keep moving, silently thanking Naruto for the suggestion of using a trident in his efforts as Aquaman. After all, the ancient kings of the oceans carried the weapon as more than just a ceremonial tool, and the boy had always been mystified by the stories. It didn't take long for Batman to design a more sturdy trident augmented for combat.

When he finally burst into the next room, it was obvious that it was some kind of laboratory, but it was completely empty of scientists and even soldiers. He didn't let that fact bother him, just glad that the laboratory was multi-tiered and overlooking a kind of indoor pool. If he focused on the water hard enough, he could feel that it was connected to the ocean through some form of tunnel.

"This lab is clear, but there's still potential research here. No sign of weapons or defenses, and there's an ocean escape route."

"Wipe it clean. Destroy anything you come across."

He set out to begin destroying any equipment he could find, but the large lab was devoid of anything he could describe as active cybernetics. The research here must have been on paper, and not actually being built. He read something about a seismic disrupter but ripped it up like anything else; all the important files would be stored electronically, and Batman would handle that. GL was supposed to be looking for the factory, and Batman the server room. Even so, he stayed in that room and waited for any signal.

"The amazing Aquaman. You're quite a mystery; no one seems to know where you come from, but the prevailing theory is that you jumped into a pool of radioactive water."

Orin spun around in time to see a man walking into the room, his red and black uniform much nicer than any of the soldiers. His black hair hung almost over his eyes, which was not exactly what he had expected. However, it was clear who he was from the information Batman had provided at the Cave. Standing before Orin was Baron Bedlam.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
NOVEMBER 16, 10:08 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Mera absolutely loved her new job, but she felt swamped. Her assistants had yet to be hired, but she was sure they would ease her work load so she could get into the nitty-gritty of the details. So far, she was doing most of the work herself and she often wondered if the previous headmaster had this much work all the time.

Everyone around her always assured her that it was just a matter of time before she would adjust to preparing for the new school year, and her duties would calm down to a manageable level. She just hated that the old office staff left when the headmaster did.

She flipped through a page and found the records of the early inductee program. They were inducting around forty-nine people, definitely an motley crew from all around the seven kingdoms. She flipped through their results from the tattoo applications and was a little unimpressed. Only six of the entire group held any kind of real potential, or had done any prior training, as they held individualized designs that fit their needs. Most people couldn't perform sorcery without the tattoos, but it wasn't as much of an oddity as she had first imagined. She certainly couldn't without her tattoos, but Mera was one of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Atlantis. It wasn't a sign that you were guaranteed to be more powerful if you had some magical talent without the guidance of the sorcery tattoos.

She looked at the picture of Naruto's design and was astounded by the level of variation. She wasn't sure if it was because the boy was incredibly skilled, or if his ability to use wind sorcery just provided an interesting design for his initial application to mimic; she supposed it was closer to the latter, because of the chakra affinity Poseidon described all those years ago.

Usually, the level of individualization applied with your skill level and the amount of training you had prior. Naruto had been trained off and on for the last few years, and especially within the last few months, with his wind magic. But he hadn't gotten as far as he probably would like, because Mera and Savenna were very careful about how to teach him from the tomes of Kordax and other recorded spells the previous wind mages had used. She didn't want him to overdo it, and definitely wanted to keep the more dangerous spells to himself.

She looked at Mela'aina's notes about his tattoo application, her written notes very interesting. She mentioned starfish, and when Mera reviewed the picture again, she saw the five-pronged design on his hand and smiled.

The starfish specialization was uncommon, but not quite as uncommon among some of the more well-trained mages. Mera had considered gaining the regenerative abilities of the starfish when she graduated to her upgraded tattoo, but instead went for the power of the octopus tattoo. It was partly to support Orin and to defend herself and Atlantis, she had to admit, but if she were more selfish, she was sure she would have gone with the other to protect herself.

Even so, to have that level of ability from the start was another interesting fact about Naruto that surprised most of the people around him. The gods themselves had shed some light on the enigmatic origin of the boy, but there were still some things that were unknown.

She continued reviewing the records, but her mind drifted away from her quickly. Her boyfriend, the King, was gone on League business, although she was the only person in all of Atlantis who even knew the Justice League existed. The alliance between the most powerful and well-known superheroes of the surface world was a fact that not many actually knew, and it could be years before they went public. To know that secret was a burden in and of itself, but to be the one person he entrusted with the secret was an amazing feeling.

She feared for his safety and wished she knew how to help them more directly; she even offered to join them, and would be a welcome addition as far as Diana was concerned. But upon further consideration, she declined her own offer because of her career. She wasn't sure she could handle the double life as well as Orin did, and even then, the King struggled. So she decided to stay behind to focus on the Conservatory, and thanks to that focus and hard-work, she was awarded the position of headmaster.

She threw herself at her work while Orin dealt with the Justice League and the throne, and Orm handled much of the kingly affairs while the man was busy. Mera often wondered if the brunette prince knew the secret of the Justice League, or suspected, but Orin swore up and down that his younger brother didn't need to know yet. Once again, she felt special that he allowed that secret to fall on only her ears.

Still, even after all of that, she worried. Orin was strong, stronger than any other Atlantean in all the Seven Seas. But she worried that he would face an opponent that he couldn't overcome, or that a member of the League wouldn't have his back. It was naive to believe he would never be in danger, or that he would always be safe, even though he always assured her he would be okay.

* * *

**MARKOVIA  
NOVEMBER 16, 05:03 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Hal's ring flashed as it investigated the factory, trying to analyze any data and feeding it to him, through a mental link he had yet to truly understand. He glanced over at the life-size construct replica of himself fighting in the corner, flying around and trying to distract the soldiers while he gathered any data he could from his hiding place.

His vision field increased as his eyes glowed and pointed out several potential technologies, most of which were found in the soldiers he had fought already. Plasma cannons, flame throwers, enhanced muscular replacement, plates of hidden torso armor.

He focused in on the plasma cannons, curious as the ring specified that it couldn't place the place of origin of the energy involved, but that it was non-terrestrial. _Why did it not match the archives of a Green Lantern ring? _

When he was sure he had a full diagnostic scan, he flew up and increased his personal shielding aura, attracting the bullets and flamethrowers of the cybernetic soldiers. His ring flashed and immediately created a brick wall of green energy, blocking their effects.

The construct clone faded, and everyone was suddenly paying attention to him. "Over here!" He smiled at the challenge and flew through the air, deflecting their long-distance attacks with the defensive constructs. In one motion, he shoved his hand forward.

The wall increased brick by brick and immediately slammed into the contingent of soldiers, hitting them hard against the wall and crushing most of their parts. Hal frowned. "That was too easy."

His eyes flashed as he spun around, barely managing to create a baseball bat construct that slammed into the cyborg he had missed and threw it into the ground. "Spoke too soon. _That_ was too easy."

* * *

**MARKOVIA  
NOVEMBER 16, 05:13 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Batman dispatched the next guard before it could blink upon seeing the first fall to the ground. The bat-shaped projectile collided in the ground between them before exploding, sending the two of them flying away from the door to the server room.

He leaped down and landed, cape sliding along the ground behind him, before running toward the room, knowing that he had to do this quickly. He calculated reinforcements coming down the second hallway based on the sound of their footsteps, enhanced through the electronic interface of his cowl, and reached into his belt and tossed several pellets. Instantly, black polyurethane foam burst to life and blocked the hallway, solidifying into a powerful mass and preventing them from coming further for a few minutes.

He slipped inside the server room, already knowing how to wipe their entire computer system and gather the data he needed. He found the connection point in the glorified walk-in closet filled with huge black system towers, inserting the cable from his suit to the mainframe. He had several moments to wait until it could activate and hack through it, doing a system wipe.

He tried to think of only his part in the mission, but Aquaman had already warned him that Baron Bedlam had found him. And if his mostly robotic soldiers were difficult to handle, it was likely that the Baron had the best of all their research embedded in his body.

The League itself was at risk with essentially attacking the leader of an actual country, as illegal as it might be. As of now, their operations were clandestine at best, although he was sure that intelligence agencies had enough data to suspect their alliance. It was difficult to hide your operations when one of your members regularly glowed with green light and fired blasts of it. If the UN got direct word that the seven strongest superheroes were working around the globe, behind borders and in secret, before they were ready to reveal it, he wasn't sure what they would do with that information.

Baron Bedlam must not be engaged.

He glanced down at the files on his suit's computer, a screen embedded in the arm of his suit. He actually wondered how he could add the Cave's new systems to his personal suit, but that would be more difficult. Something called the "Day of Reckoning" appeared, and that certainly did not sound good; he couldn't afford to waste time analyzing it now.

* * *

**MARKOVIA  
NOVEMBER 16, 05:15 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

"I know who you are, you Nazi."

Bedlam laughed suddenly. "Oh come now. It's been sixty years. Can't you cut me a break?"

"No. Your entire country and the illegal research you've been involved in is steeped in Nazi history," explained the King of Atlantis. "You've sought to achieve the same goal of creating a master race, but through different means. The end result, however, is the same; the suppression or extinction of anyone who doesn't bend to your will or accepts your belief that you are superior."

Bedlam didn't move from his spot at the top of the tiered lab, but Orin had to wonder how human the man above him was. "Oh, but I am superior!" He had a menacingly crazy look on his eyes. "The method by which I achieved my goal was far more morally acceptable. But what right do _you_ have to interfere with Markovian affairs, 'hero'?"

Orin narrowed his eyes. "As a member of the human race with the goal of the betterment of mankind, I have the right to interfere with someone whose practices are illegal and threaten humanity as a whole."

Bedlam actually laughed. "Oh, don't give me that, Aquaman. Why do you choose to believe that you are morally superior? After all, you are surely violating international law by invading my country. Or is this a case of the ends justifying the means, as so determined by the one who believes he will be the victor?"

Orin didn't say anything, just waited. He could hear both Hal and Batman on the comm link, shouting for him to stall until they could handle their part of the job.

"Do not physically engage him, Aquaman!" Batman shouted. Orin knew why; it was far too messy an outcome. "Think of the future for when we reveal ourselves to the public."

Finally, he frowned. "If you stop your illegal cybernetics program, I'm certain that you will receive some time off once you go to international court."

Bedlam shook his head. "I'm afraid I will not be doing that, quite frankly, but I cannot let you and your associates live."

Without warning and moving fast enough that Barry would probably be half-impressed, the leader of the country jumped off of his platform, his legs shifting under his pants revealing gears and metallic parts increasing his agility.

Orin leaped backwards out of the way, the Baron's foot colliding with the floor and immediately cracking it. Bedlam's fist lodged itself in Orin's belly, driving home like a powerful hammer, before beginning to twist like a drill. It moved faster and faster, boring a hole through his armor before he brought the trident up and tried to knock him out of the way with the blunt side.

The Atlantean's strength was enough to shove it away, before Orin bent over and ran forward, grappling the cybernetic leader to the ground. He threw Batman and the Justice League's caution to the wind: this man was the criminal leader of a country, and he'd be doing the rebels and international law a favor by bringing him down.

His trident slid away from his hand, but he pressed harder into the ground. Part of the Baron's torso slid away, revealing a metallic rod that looked very similar to one of his ribs. It launched itself up like a spear, and Orin only narrowly slid away from it. In that moment, he let go of the man's hand, and that was all he needed.

The hand flipped up and shifted into some kind of launcher with a barrel. A powerful red energy blast collided with his side, throwing Orin several yards away into a screaming mess. Fighting consciousness, he glanced up as the Baron's body twisted mechanically, adjusting like a robot, and then walked over. "Help," he muttered weakly, trying to adjust his hand to the communicator.

"Idiot. You charged an opponent without understanding his capabilities, of which I have many," Bedlam mocked, his arm cannon transformed into a hand once more. The King of Atlantis pressed a hand to the large burn wound, some of which was leaking blood and the other half burning so painfully from being cauterized. "I suppose you will be the least trouble to deal with out of the three intruders who believe themselves to be heroes. No one truly knows how to counter Green Lantern, and it's especially difficult to land a solid hit on the Batman."

When Bedlam stopped in front of the barely conscious King, Orin wished so much he had the strength to do something. The ocean was so close...

"Don't worry, I'll reunite you with the water."

A mechanized boot hit him so hard in the side of his ribs, they were pulverized from the sheer force. The pain was unbearable, like hundreds of needles poking his entire body all at once. Orin spun into the pool connected to the sea, a flash of green before he lost consciousness.

* * *

**And that's it for now. Next chapter deals with a sort of "part two" to this one. Hopefully you enjoyed a look at the League in operation, before they were public. Thought it was interesting to sort of mimic how the League would handle something like the episode "Drop-Zone," and added some good moments of action the fic has sort of lacked so far. Naruto is simply too young at this point to factor that into the fic through him, and this plot will deal with the larger one overall. If you squint, you might see the connections; I'd love to hear your theories. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. If you would like to send some criticism my way, go for it. I'd love to hear how you think I'm doing, or how it's working (or not) for you. **

**The poll for the pairing is closed; I actually closed it before I said I would in the last chapter, because I thought it was hilarious that Batgirl, Zatanna, and Troia were all tied. Decided to go with Donna Troy, simply because it hasn't been done before, and adds rather than subtracts from the fic. I've seen other fics who have paired him with M'gann, and Naruto basically absorbs characteristics from Conner just to make it work, and I don't like the idea that Naruto will "take" roles from the other characters. **

**That brings me to my next point. This Naruto will, naturally, be joining the Team (as will Donna). A few people have asked how this will affect Kaldur's role in the Team. I'll quote Kaldur himself from S1xE06, "We have no quota on archers." So there is no quota on Atlanteans, and he won't be taking anything from Kaldur by being there. I love Kaldur too much to do anything like that. **


	5. Reckoning

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties. **_

* * *

_**.:05:.  
Reckoning**_

**GOTHAM CITY  
NOVEMBER 29, 03:21 EDT  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

He pressed his fingers to his face, rubbing his eyes from the strain of staring at the monitor before him. The blue light was nearly the only source of light in the cave, and his focus flickered across it as the super computer calculated several possibilities, all at the same time and showing the results at will.

He couldn't find the connection, and he was starting to wonder if he was driving himself insane trying to stare at the same data over and over again.

He had been wrong in his assumption that Markovia would store all their data electronically on site, if anything important at all. There were several possible threads to sift through, as well as diagnostics for their weapons or other machinations during their program. But he wouldn't give up until he shook the feeling away of not knowing what was happening.

The "Day of Reckoning" that Lantern mentioned seeing in the factory... it wasn't in any of the files he extracted, but it wasn't possible that they weren't connected. He simply couldn't find any trace of it in the data. Nothing matched, no matter how hard he tried. The Bat-Computer couldn't analyze any connection, but he was going to force it to run through twice as many algorithms as possible.

One program was scanning schematics of some of the nastier weapons for connections, but despite being incredibly illegal and deadly, he couldn't be sure what the Day of Reckoning was, or if it even involved any of these weapons.

Another program was compiling electronic communications stored on the server, but there weren't many. He was prepared to admit he hadn't expected a more secure private server to be involved, but even then, he couldn't be sure that was necessary to assume existed.

He wished he could technologically decipher Bedlam's mind, but despite the fact that he was more machine than man, he still fell onto human coping mechanisms. When the two Leaguers had effectively defeated him after he took out Aquaman, he somehow mentally activated a self-destruct sequence that destroyed his own body. Flash had morbidly joked that they would have to scrape the blood off of Lantern's force bubble, before he apologized for being grotesque.

"Master Bruce, it seems you've forgotten that sleep is a requirement for normal human function."

Batman swiped off the cowl, turning to look at the bald, mustached man holding a mug of what he assumed was coffee and a slip of paper. "I know, Alfred. But I can't afford to not be looking for this."

The butler handed him the mug and laid what looked to be a brochure on the table. "You really ought to go, Master Bruce. I visited them once while they were in London, and the trapeze act was marvelous." He looked up, thoughtful. "They must have had a boy no older than four on the trapeze with them back then! It was remarkable."

Bruce didn't have time for circuses, or for leisure in general. Especially now, with a potential threat out there. He didn't have the heart to tell Alfred though. The man he regarded as the only father figure he could truly remember had been slipping destinations or events he could take a break away from Gotham or the League, and this was only the latest in a stack of papers and brochures he needed an entire file drawer for.

Bruce gladly took a sip of the black coffee, enjoying it immensely, before turning to the screen once more. He tried to think harder about the case before him, but he was very aware of the fact that Alfred was hovering. After a moment, the butler backed off and turned to head back upstairs.

"You need a break, and if not a long one, then a short one. Perhaps you need to visit your friend in recovery; have you not received notice that he has been released from surgery?"

Bruce furrowed his brow and reached up to flip tabs until his email appeared on the bottom half of the screen. If it had been written as a League alert, he would have responded in kind. Instead, his personal email account had a message from Clark revealing that Orin had undergone extensive lung surgery and was still on life-support. His half-Atlantean physiology granted from their sorcery was making it difficult, however, to treat him.

He sighed lightly. "I'll go during visiting hours."

"Will that be all, Master Bruce?"

He merely nodded and turned back to the computer, glad for the coffee.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 3, 10:15 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

"Why won't you let me see him?!"

Mera shook her head, eyes flickering to the boy's teeth and fins. "I'm afraid that would leave too many questions. The surface world is not aware of our existence, and a boy who looks like a fish appearing next to him would be difficult to explain."

Naruto was puzzled and a little bit angry, trying to temper himself but failing. "Why didn't they bring him here?"

Mera frowned, her face fallen; he only just noticed her exhaustion. "His injuries were too severe to move him, once he was delivered to a surface world hospital. It was the only option they had."

He didn't want to accept that, but he didn't have a choice. For nearly three weeks, Naruto only knew that the King was missing and Mera wouldn't tell him where she was going most of the day. He hated feeling out of the loop; they used to tell him everything! And now, he was stuck just as clueless as everyone else.

"Is he doing okay?"

"He is improving," she explained, a hint of hope in her eyes. "When they finally told me of his condition, I was able to add a touch of sorcery alongside human surgery, and I think it has greatly improved his condition."

"Wait! If you've been using magic around him, why can't I see him? Doesn't that show that Atlantis exists?"

She knelt down to his level. "I understand your frustration, but I cannot allow you to visit him. I am able to disguise my abilities as merely another superhero, and I do not have to reveal the origin of my powers. The doctors do not ask questions. I'm afraid that the media, however, would make the connection if you were involved."

Naruto refused to understand, but finally took a deep breath. "Tell him that I'm thinking about him. I'm sure he'll make it through."

The woman nodded. "Of course. Are you going to participate in any of the advanced classes for the earlier students?"

"Yep. I'll take any bit I can get. I figure I won't mind showing off a little too."

She gave him a dry look. "Is that wise? Should you draw attention to yourself?"

He gestured to the tattoos wrapped around his wrist. "Isn't this enough for that? All the other inductees look at me like I'm some kind of genius. You know I'm not, so that's why I need the extra classes if I'm ever going to be as good as you or Aquaman. I want to help as many people as I can while serving Atlantis!" He held up his hand, nearly instantly earning a wide-eyed look from Mera. His tattoos glowed lightly before a small burst of wind collected above his hand, enough to shake everything in the room. "And I can shock them with this."

She nodded and immediately collected the excess air bubbles with a purple flash of light, integrating them back into the water. "If you're going to do that, don't do it in a classroom. You don't have enough control to lessen the pressure changes, and I don't want to hear about you popping a room like a bubble."

He laughed at her description, but he didn't have anything with the amount of power she was talking about. "Of course." He thought of the jerk Ronal and wanted to see the look on his face when he performed a magic no one else could, even as relatively unskilled as he was.

* * *

**METROPOLIS  
DECEMBER 5, 09:13 EDT  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Mera stepped into the room and wiped a tear prematurely, hoping to stop it from forming before it did. Orin had shown a lot of progress, but seeing the love of her life on the bed where none of her efforts had actually helped was astonishing.

Air-breather medicine had hit a wall with trying to help him. In the past several weeks, he had had three surgeries on his chest, but the anatomy was ever so slightly different, and getting the right chemical composition of any medicines to match enzymes was difficult. Mera had offered to give a blood sample, in the hopes something could be done, but because Orin wasn't fully Atlantean, that wouldn't help.

All they could do was stabilize him and hope that he pulls out. She had studied everything she could about healing sorcery, which was not something she dabbled in often, but nothing she did helped.

She admired the flowers on the end-table, enjoying the smell. It was some kind of yellow daffodil, or maybe a tulip; she didn't understand them very well, but it was a kind custom that she accepted. She added them to the others and then looked at the card, which only had the symbol of a bat and the words, "I'll figure this out."

All of the Leauge had visited at one point or another, and meeting them all again had been incredibly interesting. Especially considering the fact that they arrived in civilian identities, even Diana, who said it was only to keep up appearances to the media that there was not, in fact, a secret alliance of heroes. Only Batman had never showed up, apparently still working. She was glad for the flowers, however.

She was just proud to know that Orin had such amazing friends looking out for him on the surface. It reassured her that his activity as Aquaman was necessary.

Mera had tried to spend as much time as she could away from the desk to visit him, but it was impossible not to return occasionally. She remembered her conversation with Naruto about Orin, and about the idea that Atlantis was still secret to the public. She didn't bother looking outside the window to see the media circus standing outside, having milked the story of Aquaman in a public hospital for nearly a month. No, it was right that Naruto didn't show up, because they would have to sneak him inside and she didn't want to have to hide him.

Wasn't the point of Aquaman to be an advocate for Atlantis? To be a liaison to the surface world, to ensure that they didn't kill the entire undersea culture with their pollution? She wasn't sure where that idea was lost along the way of his nearly three-year journey as a superhero, or why Orin never revealed his origins. For all they knew, he was just a guy who helped protect coastal cities and very rarely got involved elsewhere.

She often wondered if the Elders had something to do with the secrecy, but he wouldn't tell her if that was the case. They may model themselves after the twelve Olympian gods, but they were far from their image in character. It wouldn't surprise her at all if Orin had been forced to remain silent, and he complied so long as he could keep his duties protecting people.

In an odd way, she was proud to see Orin like this, lying wounded and riddled with surface-world IVs. Sad and worried, but proud. He had been hurt in the line of a self-imposed duty to protect people who had never done anything for him in return. The King would sacrifice himself for people who would never understand him, and that gave her chill bumps to even think about.

There was a knock at the door. "Hello, Mera!" A bald black man walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He held a plate of food in his hand. "I saw that you were scheduled to arrived, and I thought I would bring you this."

She smiled, wiping away a tear she didn't realize she was holding in, before walking over to embrace the Martian. "Thank you, J'onn."

"You're most welcome." The alien in human form sat the food on the table in front of him, taking the chair across from her. Mera was glad to have some surface food; the vegetables had such a sweet taste here.

"How'd your trip to Mars go?" Mera asked, glad to speak to him about this. He was one of the most open people she had ever met, and he was as much an outsider on Earth as she was on the surface. He understood Orin and Mera's struggle as much as Diana did.

"It went well," he explained. "I wish it had been under better circumstances, however. It appears that my twin brother has gone missing, and no one knows where he has gone."

She looked at him curiously. "Isn't that hard to do on your planet?"

J'onn nodded. "That is what is most troubling. It is difficult to lose track of a mind on Mars; most people live openly and without telepathic privacy. My brother was born without the ability to send telepathic signals, a rare anomaly that makes him difficult to find. I had to stop racial violence that occurred as a result of his going missing, but after several days, we believe he has left the planet."

Mera couldn't imagine leaving her own planet, but the feeling of looking out the hospital window at the Metroplis skyline around her had to be similar to that situation. "What would make him run?"

The Martian peered at her as she at her food, the gears turning in his mind. She wondered again if the alien was reading her mind, but he had assured her the first time they met that he understood boundaries.

"I am not sure. Despite the nature of our birth, the two of us have never been close. But I imagine he has always felt like an outsider, like someone who didn't fit in with the rest of his society."

"Maybe he left to find a new one?" she asked, curious, before an idea struck her. "Could he have come to Earth?"

J'onn shook his head. "No, I do not believe so. But it is a possibility I had not considered."

Mera ate another bite of her salad, strangely liking the low sodium content, before looking over at her boyfriend. J'onn smiled. "I do not have to read your mind to know what you are thinking. He will be fine, I assure you. I have seen him deal with much worse. Baron Bedlam is no Appellaxian."

"Thank you for trying to make me feel better," she said. "Do you know if Batman has discovered anything more dangerous?"

The man shook his head. "I do not. He has been working nearly nonstop for the last month, but I would need to check the report for any information." He tapped his forehead. "I would have been able to scan Bedlam's mind, had he not committed suicide."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 11, 1:37 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Naruto took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. Some of the early inductees had gathered for an extra class that D'istar was composing, and it had been the one Naruto had to sign up for.

D'istar was a battle-hardened mage who had participated in the uprising of Neptunos in his youth, and he had so much anger it was like he never left that battlefield. When he started to teach, he was perhaps the strictest teacher on campus, and it had not waned over the years. He had a focus on combat, and that was the reason why Naruto had to take this class.

However, the old teacher with short black hair, dark skin, and a gray dolphin tail hadn't spent any real time talking about practical battle skills, but rather talking about his experiences and how his training could impact those experiences.

However, others seemed to share Naruto's need for combat training, and by the half hour mark, everyone was so ready for him to start displaying something powerful. The merman noticed their anticipation, but didn't comment on it until Ronal practically stood up in his seat.

"I'm so ready to blow something up. Can't you teach us something good? Or at least, show us something!"

When many of the people in class started to agree, even Naruto despite his dislike for Ronal, the old teacher frowned. "Fine. If you're so ready to do something good, I'll show you just how outclassed you are." He looked up at the crowd of onlookers, before locking eyes with Naruto. "You. The kid with the wind sorcery. Come down here and join me."

Naruto was astounded; he knew he had a chance to get picked on, but he didn't expect to have to fight the teacher. D'istar was going to slaughter him. Figuratively, he hoped.

When Naruto swam down to the battlefield, he was already running through all the spells he knew. Thanks to the tattoo, a lot of spells didn't require invocation anymore. But he still needed to pull out all the stops to fight him, if he had any useful powers in the combat arena. He wanted to at least impress the rest of the class before he got taken down by the old warrior.

But when D'istar suddenly called on Ronal to join them, Naruto smirked. The taller ten year old swam down to stand across from him, his post very regulation from what Naruto had seen in textbooks.

"All right, does anyone know why I called on them?"

"Because they hate each other?" suggested one, but the teacher shook his head, peering at both of them upon hearing it.

"Because they have the most individualized tattoos?" suggested another, earning a nod from the teacher.

"I chose this poser," the teacher said with a hand pointing to Naruto, "because of his unique skills. And I chose the other poser because of his family training him too early. These two should be fairly evenly-matched." After another moment, he swam backwards. "Begin!"

Ronal began his charge faster than Naruto, his tattoos glowing as water swirled around his fists. In a quick analysis, it didn't look like Ronal could form solid shapes, but there was a lot of power hiding behind the glowing fist of swirling sorcery.

Naruto spun out of the way of the strike, aiming a knee into Ronal's gut, but the attack collided with Naruto's thigh and he was sent flying away. He recovered with a kick upward, swimming in place over the stands where the class was assembled, and when Ronal charged after him with a powerful leap off the arena floor, Naruto smirked.

Charging the magic within his palms, his tattoos shimmered with blue light. A bright silver burst of wind fired in front of him, sending him flying backward from the inertia, and immediately colliding with Ronal. The class was in awe at the circular display of wind that almost immediately collected as bubbles that obscured the fight for a moment.

Ronal landed hard on the ground from the attack, skidding in a cloud of dust, before pressing off. His tattoos glowed once more, and Naruto was reminded of the crab specialization. Did his opponent know any moves that took advantage of that? Naruto certainly didn't know how to use starfish magic, and he didn't remember what crab did.

When Ronal managed to gather the liquid around his fists again, he finally remembered. Water gathered around the body of a crab specialization would grant greater physical power and endurance, like the vice and shell of a crab.

Naruto pulsed another wave of wind in front of him, hardening the air into a kind of shield that managed to deflect the other blonde's potentially powerful hit. But he wasn't prepared for the other striking foot, and it crashed through the wind hard enough to send Naruto spinning, disoriented.

Ronal took advantage and moved fast, his limbs partially surrounded by hardened water, and then drove a fist hard into Naruto's chest, sending him barreling toward the arena's floor.

He rose a hand and summoned a spiral of wind in front of him, ignoring the cloud of bubbles that protected his powerful fall. He landed flat on his back, breathing hard for a few seconds.

"You've both got a decent grasp on your strengths," D'istar said, before immediately calling on his own sorcery. Naruto barely noticed the tentacle-like appendages that wrapped around both of them, holding Naruto to the ground and tearing Ronal back to it. "But don't get cocky. Your reaction times are terrible, and there's a lot more to sorcery than this. You two are about as creative as a clown-fish."

* * *

**METROPOLIS  
DECEMBER 19, 12:58 EDT  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX **

Orin suddenly shocked himself awake, very clearly aware that something was wrong. _Why am I not wet? _He opened his eyes and immediately closed them, trying to move away from the sunlight and feeling the pain in his chest as he moved. The intense sensation of a piece of rib grating against another brought tears to his eyes.

Trying to taper off his breaths, he finally managed to think more clearly. He remembered the feeling of Bedlam's boot slamming against his chest, clearly breaking multiple ribs and causing intense injury. He had no concept of where he was, and the lack of water was disorienting.

He opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the afternoon light, before looking up to see the IV connected to the arm, dripping fluids nearly constantly. He shook off the grogginess and realized there were four of them, one in each of his extremities, all pouring water at exactly the same rate directly into his system. If he focused hard enough, his eyes could see the signs of magic in the liquid.

Why was there sorcery trying to treat him the air-breather way? Why wasn't he in Atlantis, recovering from the mission there?

The monitor beeped suddenly as he made a quick movement, before immediately ringing with alert. His senses immediately kicked into overdrive, and without warning, he jumped from the bed and fell to the ground as the pain shocked him down, stunning him.

"Aquaman!" a familiar voice shouted, and he stared up to see a blonde man suddenly appear with a whoosh of wind. It took him a second to remember that that was Barry. The Flash helped him stand, before laying him back in bed. "You need to rest. You're obviously still in pain, but I'm glad you're awake. It's a marked improvement."

Orin still wanted to get up, but refrained for Barry's sake. "What happened? How long have I been out?"

"Too long. The mission to Markovia happened last month," he explained with a slight whisper. "Bats and GL managed to stop the Baron, but he committed suicide by self-destructing inside Hal's bubble during transport. And that was after claiming that they would all see the 'Day of Reckoning' very soon."

Orin nodded, but was angry that he might have been hurt for no reason. If somehow, Baron Bedlam still had a plan out there, even after committing suicide, then he got hurt for nothing. He didn't regret it, but there were better ways of handling things.

"Why am I here instead of in Atlantis? I could have recovered a lot faster."

Barry shook his head. "Your lungs were perforated and your heart had been hit hard; you had three separate surgeries on different major organs. If we had moved you, you could have died. By the time we got you to a hospital bed, you were in really bad condition."

He hated this, but he understood it. "How's the world reacting to Markovia?"

"As well as you might expect," the Flash explained. "Markovia isn't aware of our involvement in the mission, thankfully, but Lois Lane wrote a scathing expose about Bedlam's cybernetic Nazi agenda. We didn't ask her to, but she included mention that a suicide note had been found and essentially covered for us. Batman made sure the story matched by forging one for the rebels to find."

He didn't like operating so much in secret; all of them were getting to him for sure. He was starting to wonder if the Baron had been right to question their motives in invading his country. "Fine. Then we can't go into a country like that again. I made a mistake in not fleeing Bedlam when I had the chance; we could have taken what we had and left. Instead, I fought him directly and paid the price."

"No," the Flash said immediately, nearly too fast to hear. "We weren't wrong to stop that monster. I don't like trying to fake a suicide note either, but what is done is done. This won't give us any trouble from the UN, but we have another problem."

Orin's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? I'm sure Batman will figure it out, if he hasn't already. When has he not?"

Barry shook his head. "Let me rephrase: you have a problem. The doctors here know about your body and the fact that you aren't fully human; or at least, not baseline human. It's not impossible for them to accept that you just are an odd cookie, but if the government compare it with samples from other people they don't know are Atlanteans, they are going to make the connection. How long until someone finds a body of Triton or someone else?"

Orin sighed. "I can't reveal Atlantis to the public without the political pressure down my neck forcing us to stay secret. They think if the air-breathers find out about us, you'll nuke us." He glanced up at the Flash. "Considering there are other people like Bedlam out there, maybe that's not an irrational fear."

Barry was solemn but understanding. "I... can't blame you really, but that's why we're here. To stop people like him." The Atlantean king nodded.

"I have to head back to work, and visiting hours are almost over. I think Mera is supposed to visit tomorrow, so you'll have that to look forward to. If we find out anything, we'll definitely let you know. The doctors will be here in a bit."

* * *

**MOUNT JUSTICE  
DECEMBER 25, 12:04 EDT  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Batman stood in place, staring over the records hovering over him. The electronic screens were lit up with all of his intel, the relevant information he had already delivered to the League's communicators. Hal had already sent an update through the ring, explaining that he was on his way.

"This is bad," Wonder Woman declared as she arrived, the machine glowing gold behind her as she flashed into existence.

The actual Flash arrived in the next moment, nodding in agreement. "This is an event that could be a catastrophe. If only we had discovered the intelligence faster!"

Batman shared his opinion; he had berated himself for missing the obvious clues, but eventually accepted that these things take time. Even so, he still hated that it was coming down to the wire.

Superman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter all arrived within a few more minutes of each other, all their expressions grave. "Bruce, give us the rundown. Explain to us what we need to know."

Batman nodded and was about to begin, but the screen suddenly lit up with a video message, displaying a certain blonde king sitting upright on his hospital bed, halfway in uniform and forcing himself to change. His girlfriend stood next to him, trying to help him into the skin-tight orange suit.

"You guys aren't doing this without me," the man said, before wincing.

Martian Manhunter immediately saw his pain and shook his head. "No, Aquaman. I'm afraid that we cannot jeopardize your health further by allowing you to take part in this mission."

The man's face sunk. "Why not? I've already seen the specs! This is my kind of mission!"

Batman was grateful that he wasn't the elected leader, so that he didn't have to be the one to convince Orin to remain in rest. Once J'onn was finished and the now-fully uniformed Aquaman looked dejected, Batman highlighted the screens that were important.

"Hidden across the world's oceans are what Bedlam called 'seismic disrupters.' The Day of Reckoning refers to his plan to induce incredibly powerful tsunamis all around the world, wiping every major coastline and allowing his country to survive. Despite the fact that we took him down," Batman sighed lightly, "he still activated his plan." A countdown clock appeared, revealing a little less than six hours. "We have this long to find the seismic disrupters and deactivate them using these." He held seven chips in hand, small circular devices with a light attached. "These will integrate into their systems and stop their power flow, shorting them out."

J'onn looked at him in curiosity and astonishment. "Can you narrow down their locations?"

Batman nodded, glancing ever so slightly in the direction of Orin and Mera in the video screen. He waved his hand, displaying the map where seven red blips were located, scattered in every major ocean. He didn't know the Atlantean geography, but he imagined that they corresponded partially with the seven city states' jurisdiction.

Lantern stepped forward slightly, displaying the same map on his ring. "These locations are very specific, but have a small percentage of error as well as that the exact location might be difficult to find. They are cross-referenced with the ring's scans and Batman's findings, and I am positive that they can be tracked down in time."

"The information has been stored to your communicators, as well as a kind of location signal where you can find them," Batman declared, before looking to J'onn.

The Martian glanced at him and then at Orin and Mera, and the man was standing very painfully but was on his feet. "The six of us will deal with the locations in the Altantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the South China Sea. Whoever finishes first will cover the Indian Ocean."

After another moment of consideration, the Atlantean king stood up. "No. I refuse to sit this out. The seas are at my command, and I will acknowledge this threat in a way only a king can." The phone call ended before they could say anything.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
DECEMBER 25, 15:16 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

When Naruto heard chatter that the king had arrived, he practically dropped everything he was doing and swam as fast as he could toward the palace. The Conservatory was mostly deserted during the week of the Solstice, so he passed through without incident.

He didn't pay much attention to the troops who all seemed to be heading in the same direction, but he didn't let that stop him. However, when he heard what one of them was saying, he was shocked.

"Word is that we have to stop some kind of earthquake weapon from destroying the surface-world."

Naruto swam closer, trying to remain a bit casual, but as they continued their conversation, he was stunned. Apparently, the King had called as many soldiers and mages as he could muster to spread around the globe to stop a plan to create tsunamis. _This is what the king deals with on those mysterious "missions" every day?_

Slipping away from them, when he finally arrived at the purple-walled palace made of a mutable coral, he found his usual secret entrance and crawled inside, slithering through the tight opening and popping up inside one of the basements.

At this point, it wasn't hard to get back to the throne room; he wondered if he would ever tell Orin about that obvious security flaw or not, because no one stopped to check you once you were inside. He hadn't snuck into the palace in years, so no one expected him, he supposed.

Swimming as silently as he could muster, he finally charged through the room, instantly proud to see Orin standing before several of his generals, some of them members of the other kingdoms. He looked like he was constantly wincing, and he didn't doubt there were bandages wrapped around his body underneath his clothing.

He tapered off his joy the second he heard Mera walk into the room, and by sheer instinct, he hid behind one of the columns lining the chamber's walls.

"Coordinate well and use the intelligence carefully," the king ordered. "No one knows the seas like we do, so we must handle this situation accordingly and with haste. As of now, we have five and a half hours."

The redhead stood next to the king. "I'm going to suggest we send the highest-trained mages in groups of six to each of the locations alongside the soldiers. In case something goes wrong and the League is unable to stop one of the disrupters, there will already be capable people on site."

Orin nodded. "Do it."

Naruto frowned, thinking hard. The only thing he could actually think about was the fact that he wanted to go, but he didn't even know how to start. He could ask, but they would say no... The seven-year-old eventually just smiled and knew he could follow with Hippothoon.

Naruto could help, he was sure of it. They'd be glad to have him once he was there, and he was practically giddy with anticipation. He was going to help Atlantis and the surface world as a whole! Aquaman would be proud of him.

* * *

**MEDITERRANEAN SEA  
DECEMBER 25, 18:33 UTC+1  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Wonder Woman flew hard and fast from the shores of Paradise Island, hands angled in front of her for maximum coverage and already thinking about how she was going to handle it. Orin had communicated that Atlantis was mobilizing to deal with this threat, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that they were able to bypass their prejudices to do something good for the outside world. She wondered how much convincing it would take for the Amazons to offer help.

She received the alert on her communicator to reveal that she was getting close, and figured that the device was deep below her, in probably a several kilometer radius around her. However, she smiled lightly when she found an Atlantean soldier sitting on the surface of the water, a woman dressed in blue armor and a helmet, holding a spear in hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Diana," the soldier said in gratitude.

"And I to you," Wonder Woman said in sincerity; seeing a female highly decorated soldier was endearing. "Have you located the device?"

The soldier nodded. "Yes. We have stood guard in case of a fail-safe or some kind of defensive system, but our regiment is waiting on you."

Diana nodded, pulling a rebreather from her belt as well as the deactivation key. "I would allow you to handle it, but only I know of the location where to place it." The general seemed to understand, and Wonder Woman plunged into the sea.

The ocean had always confounded her for nearly her entire life. It had been a kind of prison, a barrier preventing her from exploring her options and potential. Only when she left the island could she truly understand Poseidon's domain and all the mysteries found within and beyond.

"Flash to Justice League, device four has been deactivated. Heading to pick up the extra deactivation key from Mount Justice and then heading to the location in the Indian Ocean."

_Acknowledged_, she thought carefully, wishing she could say it without the rebreather.

She swam only slightly slower than the soldier did, but the pressure began to get to her, as tough as she was. She encountered more Atlanteans along the way, all scattered in a formation that allowed them to cover all sides. When she finally sighted the seismic disrupter almost thirty minutes into the descent, she was partially astonished that she was on the ocean floor at all, even if this was not a particularly deep segment.

She dared not remove her rebreather, instead waving lightly to some of the Atlanteans to signal that she was ready. The disrupter was active but had not begun its process. Scanning the information on her communicator, she found the notch where the device's control was located. She placed the circular deactivation key on the notch and waited.

The light lit up with bright red, before it began moving on its own, sending what looked like roots on a seed into the device. She knew it was establishing a connection circuit to remove its energy flow, but she didn't understand how it worked.

"Wonder Woman to Justice League," she said calmly as her head bobbed at the surface, "disrupter three has been deactivated."

* * *

**INDIAN OCEAN  
DECEMBER 26, 07:35 UTC+7  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE SIX**

Naruto supposed he shouldn't have assumed he would get away with coming, especially when he realized that he was following the group of mages and soldiers that Mera was traveling with. The woman nearly gave him a heart attack and did spook Hippothoon when they crossed out of Poseidonis's territory, traveling into Lemuria. She had snuck up on him on her own hippocampus.

He had begged her to allow him to come, to at least witness what Orin's duty as Aquaman was like. He didn't want to turn around. He had promised not to get in the way and to only observe. After a long moment, she submitted but he had to stay right by her side at all times.

The device they were trying to find was impossible to understand; he had never seen anything like it. Surface world technology was odd. Because of how far away they had been, it had taken nearly four and a half hours to arrive, but once they were there, they had tried lots of things to take care of it on their own. Nothing worked, and no one had delivered the deactivation key yet.

"Why isn't there something else we can do?" Naruto asked once more.

Mera sighed, her hands shaking so much because she was nervous. "We can't risk destroying it, because if we didn't manage to do it right, we could activate it."

Naruto frowned, but was interrupted from responding when Mera placed her hand on her ear, a complex earpiece of air-breather technology there.

"Understood," she answered, turning to the other Atlanteans and reverting to her native tongue. "Batman has just deactivated the last device. This is the only one that remains, and the Flash and Green Lantern are very close."

Naruto wished he knew who they were. The knowledge of the surface world was limited, and Orin had never mentioned them before in his stories. He assumed they were superheroes too, but couldn't confirm it.

A few minutes of anxious waiting later, and knowing they had precious moments left, a bright flicker of green light streaked above them, and there was a whir of red and yellow, all coming toward them. Naruto's shoulders tensed, flinching as they came in very, very fast. Two men appeared, one covered in an aura of green light and the other in a similar aura, connected to the odd emerald ring on the one he assumed was Green Lantern.

"Sorry it took so long," the ring-wearing superhero said. "We might have trouble getting this one to work. They have become progressively more difficult to deactivate, because the key has to assimilate. The ring says it's a kind of layered fail-safe built into the devices."

"Shouldn't matter, just hope this works." The other superhero, Flash, sped over so fast that he nearly disappeared from sight, a blur of red and yellow appearing behind him. He was still connected to the Lantern's ring that seemed to protect him, and attached the little device they were looking for.

For a paralyzing moment, nothing happened and Naruto wished he knew something to say. Mera looked pale, her fingers trembling.

In the same instant as the huge machine hit the ground with one its powerful pistons, the ground started rumbling hard under their feet. A huge crack immediately formed, running as far as the eye could see, and Hippothoon lurched away from it like it was the worst thing in the world.

"Shit! It's activating!" Flash said, looking to the other superhero. "Destroy it!"

The crevice grew and Naruto didn't know what was going on, but when the ground suddenly shifted as hard as he could imagine, the pistons moving hard, he looked immediately to Mera.

"We failed, didn't we?"

Green Lantern aimed his ring, immediately surrounding the entire machine in a huge bubble and lifted it away from the ground. "Not yet we haven't. Mera, I don't suppose your people can help me stop a tsunami?"

The redheaded Atlantean was on the verge of tears, and Naruto couldn't fully grasp what was going on. The ground continued to move, even without the device in place, but everyone was moving around so frantically he didn't know what was happening. The waters seemed to rush around him somehow, in an inexplicable way.

When everyone but the hippocampi was suddenly planted in a huge bubble of green energy, not unlike the one carrying the machine, Mera clutched Naruto's hand for support. He squeezed it carefully as the Lantern gathered everyone out of the ocean, heading so fast that he was starting to want to throw up.

They burst into the sunlight, and the green sphere flattened into a platform, removing all the water and forcing the Atlantean soldiers who didn't have legs to lay flat. Naruto had to admit that seeing the ocean from this angle was odd and weirdly familiar, like he had seen it before.

"This is the epicenter, and the wave has already started to circle outward," the Lantern explained, before showing a diagram of green energy and what the wave would look like if it came to full term and hit land anywhere. The way they were animatedly talking, he didn't fully understand what the significance of this was. He had never seen the aftermath of a tsunami, but he knew he couldn't let that happen.

"Mages, to me!" Mera immediately shouted, as the team of five behind her suddenly gathered in formation. Naruto stepped toward the machine huge ocean floor machine and out of her way. "We're going to siphon as much of the force from the water as we can. Perhaps we can save as many lives as possible by making the wave less powerful. Hydrophilic vortex directly on the epicenter, full power. Vaporize it."

Naruto watched as the mages lined in a circle, the green energy platform turning into a ring leaving an opening directly where the epicenter was. They joined hands, and Naruto felt useless.

"I wish I could help," he muttered, as the spell began and Mera guided it, her tentacle tattoos sparking to life. Immediately a small spiral of blue water gathered, glowing so brightly that it seemed stronger than the sunlight from up close. He didn't know the spell or even how to start training to perform it.

"The League is heading here right away," GL explained, before activating his communicator. "The ring has mapped where the energy will travel if the Altanteans aren't able to stop it from forming. Superman and Martian Manhunter, head to the locations on your minimap and do everything you can to stop the water." He turned to the Flash. "You too, but be careful. This is going to be powerful." The fast superhero zipped away immediately to prepare for where to go, going so fast that he ran along the water itself, much to Naruto's shock.

The spell continued as the mages chanted, and the spiral began to do its job. More and more water gathered in one place, and soon enough, the light from the spell spread as far as the eye could see through the ocean below them, lighting up the surface of the water as everything was drawn into the spell. From what he could tell, they were trying to absorb the distortion in the ocean that the earthquake caused, even as it spread for dozens of miles in minutes. The sphere slowly extended, growing more and more as it sucked in the water around it, until the Lantern had to expand the circular platform to prevent it from washing over them.

The sphere began to vaporize at the top, instantly turning into steam and heading up into the atmosphere and turning into a cloud. He turned toward the sphere itself and held up his own hands, knowing the incantation to this simpler spell. The bubble of water that was gathering began to vaporize a bit faster thanks to Naruto's effort, his relatively new tattoos glowing brightly.

He prayed to Poseidon that it would work, deciding that that was _something_ he could do. He was glad to help, even if it was only something as simple as this.

They must have chanted for nearly twenty minutes, but when the spell broke as their exhaustion mounted, Naruto practically had to run forward to catch Mera before she collapsed. The Lantern caught the rest of the water and evenly dispersed it, as though through a filter to cause rain over several moments. "We failed..." she muttered. "I could still... feel the wave."

"You're right," Green Lantern said gravely. "The largest wave is heading toward Indonesia right now, and but the League should be able to siphon some of the damage. We're going to stop that wave."

The superhero didn't ask, immediately moving them in that direction, the floating platform carrying the Atlanteans zipping through the sky over the ocean. Naruto had to admit the foreign feeling was enjoyable, if odd.

It must have been twenty minutes before they arrived very close to landfall. Naruto could see the solid ground just on the edge of his vision, several kilometers away.

"It's coming very quickly," Green Lantern said, before finally pointing ahead. On the horizon was the large wave, not having fully formed yet but still getting bigger. "I'm not letting it cross this line! I wield the most powerful weapon in the universe for a reason!"

Without warning, a huge wall of green light shimmered into existence, extending what looked like two to three kilometers long, tethered to the ring. Naruto gaped as the sweat poured on the man's face, running along the mask around his eyes. It continued to extend and rise, even as the powerful wave of water rushed at it and crashed on the ocean's surface, the sheer volume of water astounding.

The Lantern's platform where they were standing suddenly broke, shocking the resting Atlanteans and Naruto especially. "I'm sorry! I need to concentrate on this. Get to shore immediately!"

The Atlanteans swum as fast as they could swim, and Naruto was almost glad to be back in the water. He had faith in this powerful man, that he wouldn't let the wave crash into the shore. When they finally arrived on the beach, any people who were still waiting even after seeing the odd green wall burst into life, and the oncoming wave, were shocked to see them.

The soldiers ordered people to flee, and Naruto was suddenly aware he was way in over his head, and had been this entire time.

"_Ibu_!" shouted the voice of a little girl. "_Ibu_!"

Naruto turned to see the black-haired little girl running around the beach gear, trying to find someone. She was crying and scared, but didn't seem to understand what was about to happen. If Green Lantern's wall fell when the water hit, they wouldn't make it. He looked back to Mera, who was conversing with the other mages and soldiers, and was likely trying to come up with another plan for how to get out of this.

Immediately, they heard a great crash and Naruto instinctively ran toward the little girl. He tried to soothe her, tried to yell for the other people on the beach to get out of there. But it wasn't to be.

The wave immediately smashed into Green Lantern's barrier and destroyed it, most of it rushing over the top and causing it to fall apart. He braced himself and stood in front of the little girl, and when the wall of water and destructive force was mere meters from him, he held out his hands as the child clung to his leg.

He couldn't think about anyone but the girl. His tattoos blazed to life, and a dome of pure wind suddenly blurred to life, spiraling around and around his body with a shimmering silver glow. His vision went fuzzy and then more focused, but he didn't dare lower his hands to wipe at them. The girl cried out for help again, clutching him tighter, and he couldn't believe what was happening.

The wind held, the water parting around him and even above him, washing completely around him. He didn't realize he had been driven to one knee, the girl's hands around his neck, as the raging waters continued for several long minutes.

He couldn't hold it... After another moment, something eased his effort and he opened his eyes, seeing Mera standing in front of him, her famous manta ray water construct surrounding them. His tattoos faded and he gasped for both air and water, gills clutching at nothing.

Naruto took a deep breath from his nose, looking over to see the little girl looking with wonder at the pretty colors, not understanding the gravity of the world around her. When the spell faded and the waters fell once more, would she understand the death around her?

Better yet, would he?

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
JANUARY 29, 16:23 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE FIVE**

Orin paced back and forth, preparing for the council meeting and holding the scroll in his hand with a prepared statement. The Elders wouldn't like it, but he was going to give that to Lois regardless. He could imagine her headline: "ATLANTIS HAS DEEP SENSE OF PEACE." It would be next to the bottom front page news item about Batman's comment that the heroes may work together more often in the future, although the League was still hidden for now.

All seven members, alongside a huge workforce of Atlanteans, had spent the past month helping to stem the Asian crisis. Indonesia was the worst hit location, but several other countries had much more minor waves crash into them. According to Hal, it could have been much worse, but it was almost impossible to fight nature's course, even when the initial cause was man-made.

Analysis of the seismic disrupters, once GL had collected them, revealed that each disrupter became more powerful than the last as each was taken out in sequence. Batman worried that some kind of AI could have been involved, but GL didn't find any trace of it with his ring's usually spot-on analysis. Coming from Bedlam and his cybernetics, however, it would certainly make sense.

He blamed himself for this entire situation. He blamed himself for getting hurt fighting Bedlam back in November. He blamed himself for not recognizing when the Baron placed his disrupters into his own oceans. He blamed himself for not being able to work with the other Leaguers to hit all the disrupters at relatively the same time; instead, someone had to hit two instead of just one. He blamed himself for Naruto's involvement.

Sighing, he wished he had time to talk to the boy about what happened, but he didn't. The second the tsunami itself ended and the clean up began, he forced Naruto to return to Poseidonis. He was so proud of his surrogate son for having the ability to save a complete stranger; it reminded him of when they found the boy inside the crystal meteorite.

When the Elders finally called for the meeting and for him to come in, he frowned. Orin already knew what they were going to say, to which he would reply, "The cat's out of the bag now; they know Atlantis is real and there's nothing we can do about it."

He was glad to have gone public. Having Atlanteans at each disrupter site, shared from Orin's communicator, allowed the Leaguers to find the disrupter faster, especially if they had enough time to find it before they arrived. And then he was proud to use his armies and even civilian volunteers to save people and help repair damage in the Asian world, and that wouldn't stop just because of how they feel.

He could understand where they were coming from one hundred percent. The surface world was a dangerous place and they were inviting danger by maintaining contact with them. But Orin was going to be an advocate for his kingdom, and its best interests, and its best interests were to protect the right for others to chase their interests. That included the surface world, no matter what twelve old people say.

* * *

_**I hope everyone is sort of okay with a more "heavy" chapter. This gives a good glimpse at the kind of tone that the fic will have later on when dealing with strong issues/trauma/etc. **_

_**Aside from that, this was a fun chapter to write. I have to tell you, I'm partially inspired by the brilliant movie The Impossible when I wrote this chapter, and that story is based on the 2004 Indonesian Tsunami/Earthquake. I want to give my condolences to anyone who might be reading this who was affected by that real world event, and was "triggered" by this rendition of that event.**_

_**Not sure when the next chapter will come out. I want to work on my other active fics for a bit. But thanks for reading and reviewing, and if you want to leave another review, by all means! I'd love to hear what you thought. **_

_**P.S.: Calculating differences in time zones are a bitch. **_


	6. Impure

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties. **_

* * *

_**.:06:.  
Impure**_

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 2, 15:31 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Naruto held his hands together, watching as the water swayed around him, adding to the effect of the entire class. On the dais, the luminescent sphere of water rose, and then changed shape, creating several distinctive figures. Within moments, the group-spell had created a crude miniature replica of the city, a fantastically concerted effort that took a lot of precision.

The blonde glanced across the platform and met Tula's face, but she was turned to the boy to her left and tried to coax him to do better. His tattoos only faintly glowed and required the use of water bearers to anchor his magic, showing his relative inexperience. He had gotten to know Kaldur quite well during the past year when he joined the Conservatory, but sorcery was not quite as easy for him as it could have been.

When one of the buildings of the city-wide replica began to shake, a nursery from the looks of it, it was clear who was responsible. Naruto tried to overextend his own control, to support Kaldur's efforts, but as he did, the street near the palace immediately collapsed.

He sighed and tried to repair the street as well as stabilize it, but his magic was too taxed trying to support both Kaldur's ministrations and his own. When Kaldur's nursery dispersed, the rest of the spell began to crumble.

"All right, let it up," Savenna suddenly demanded, much to the gratitude of everyone. The complex spell faded and quite a few people in the circle were grumbling, the hint of overexertion on their features. Naruto wasn't exhausted in the slightest, but he felt for most of the class. This was relatively advanced stuff, and not everyone in this group had as many years of experience as he did.

"There was a significant lack of detail," the instructor explained in an admonishing voice the blonde boy knew very well. "As each person is included in the effort, another layer of complexity must be established. Many of you were unable to meet the expectations of everyone else, either in detail or focus. Do better."

Savenna was going to dismiss them after a long day of perfecting it, and Naruto had already begun to get ready to leave, when a familiar voice spoke up. "But how can you fight with this?" Naruto glanced up to see the dark-haired boy looking at her earnestly, a hand on Kaldur's shoulder.

The instructor smiled. "There is much more to life than combat, Garth, contrary to what D'istar says. You know as well as I do that sorcery has many applications, and none of them are exclusively for fighting." She glanced around at everyone else. "This form of spell is used to create a projection of an image. This could be used for entertainment, for art, for architecture, and many other aspects."

Tula cleared her throat. "You could also cast a glamour to disguise your presence, or use it as a distraction."

Savenna nodded. "Exactly. It has a myriad of applications that are relevant. While you might not need to know how to recreate a model city on your own, you could hide an important object on a mission." When her own hidden tattoos activated, glowing green water began to surround the hand she raised. Within moments, the light faded, only to reveal that her hand had completely vanished.

The class clapped as she dropped the effort, but Naruto had mixed feelings. Even then, he wondered if he could adapt a similar spell to his more advanced wind sorcery. Savenna dismissed the class, and Naruto immediately swam across the circle to join the others.

"Thank you, my friend," the dark-skinned Atlantean said with a small smile.

Naruto shrugged. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm glad to help." Kaldur's smile deepened, but there was something bubbling under the surface. Doubt? Shame?

"So are we on for dinner tonight?" Garth asked the three of them, referring to their favorite coral diner. Tula's face brightened at the thought.

"I am not certain," Kaldur said. "There is something... upsetting me." The older boy suddenly sat down, prompting the rest of them to follow. Naruto couldn't understand why he was so down.

Tula tried to squeeze his arm to comfort him. "What's wrong?"

After a long moment, the boy met her gaze. "This is just the latest example, but I am considering moving down to the lower class."

"What?" Naruto and Garth said in the same moment.

"Kaldur, you can't do that. We'll be separated!" Tula exclaimed. "We'll pass you by."

"You already have." The look on the boy's face was so downcast. Naruto wished he knew what to say. "You, Tula, are clearly the most skilled of anyone in the class. Naruto, you've got the most experience and your unique sorcery. And Garth, you're the most powerful, and your tattoos will be gone soon. What do I have?"

It was Tula who was first to break the silence, but the boy wasn't going to hear it. When Kaldur suddenly jumped off the ground, swimming straight off of the platform, Naruto had to evade the dust cloud. "I need some time alone."

"Wait, what about dinner!?" Garth asked earnestly, looking up at the other's retreating form.

"I'll meet you there!" Kaldur called out, leaving the rest of them unsure of what to think.

No one said anything for several moments, but Naruto looked at the both of them finally. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. This might be something he needs to work out on his own," Tula explained.

"But we'll be there for him either way," Garth finished.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 2, 16:35 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

The Elders stood before him, bickering among themselves about everything he had just said. Orin briefly considered, yet again, disbanding the entire system, but that would be an affront that no noble would ever accept. He had enough trouble as it was.

"The Purist epidemic has grown to be much more forceful than anyone could realize," Orin added again. "We must do something to combat these issues, or no one will be able to quell the tide before it sweeps all of us away!"

"Bah, these are unfounded."

"The reports are exaggerated!"

"There is nothing to suggest what you are saying is accurate to any degree beyond supposition."

Orin sighed, considering the evidences before them. His own brother was the one to bring forth the reports and was secured through much of the prince's network of spies. They had never let him down before, and they were merely explaining what they had heard. The Elders were the only factor in this chain who were suggesting anything different.

"We should not take this lightly," Orin repeated. This council was more difficult to deal with than Hal or Barry ever were. "How hard is it to assume that the Purists have some form of leader?"

Another round of disagreement spread throughout the room. "The Purist movement is a movement, not a regime. They lack a centralized authority. This is how it has been since the beginning of the Great Deluge."

The king of Atlantis cleared his throat. "We are going to investigate the claims of the recent attacks, and I am going to leave Poseidonis to investigate them myself."

"You dare abandon the throne at a time like this?"

"The air-breathers have changed you!"

"I am not _abandoning_ anything!" Orin shouted, loud enough to completely silence the room. He imagined that they could hear him throughout the hallway. "If anything, I am ensuring the survival of _all_ of my people by assuming that this could be a more substantial threat. Queen Mera may rule in my stead, as she has done while I am on duty with the League."

Orin left the room quickly, tired of hearing this antiquated system. He was only half joking a few years back when he asked one of his advisors whether or not abolishing the Elders would be a good thing. Nothing short of civil war would happen as a result, but was there much difference with what could happen in the political climate right now?

He hurried back to his personal office, only half acknowledging the guards posted outside the room. "Chief Science Advisor Vulko summoned for you," the guard explained.

"Did he say what it was about?" asked Orin.

The guard shook his head. "Prince Orm said he would handle it."

When he found himself behind the desk, he took a long moment to try to relax. He decided to bother Vulko later. It couldn't be _that _important, or he would have left some kind of message. And he was sure his brother would burst through the door if it was something urgent.

As he leaned back and stared at the ceiling, he would give just about anything to summon Mera to his side, if only for a few minutes to calm his nerves. He knew she was far too busy for that, but the stress was mounting and they could both use the relief.

The latest attacks showed a clear sign of targeting, and the reports whispered of a phantom leader running things across all the kingdoms. What could he do?

He considered the situation and activated the communicator on the desk, quickly verifying his identity with a voice command. "Aquaman to the Watchtower." The screen suddenly lit up, revealing the figure of Hawkwoman standing in front of the holographic display.

"Orin, is something wrong?"

"Well, it's not League business," he said to the winged woman on monitor duty. He frowned after another second of thought. "Perhaps I shouldn't bring it even to your attention, now that I think about it."

The Thanagarian warrior shook her head. "Well, you wouldn't have reached out if you didn't need some assistance. Can I help you?"

Orin reluctantly explained the situation to her as quickly as he could. Shayera listened intently, her expression stoic. "And now I have an entire council who probably all sympathize with the Pursit agenda, but I can't prove what they will not admit publicly."

The alien considered it a moment, rubbing a finger under her chin. "I can relate. Not everyone on Thanagar is born with functioning wings. Some aren't born with wings at all. This purism is exactly the same kind of systemic oppression that Katar and I have seen on our planet. But violence against the flightless is uncommon."

Orin nodded. "Interesting. Is there anything you suggest I can do from your experience?"

The woman smirked and raised her spiked mace. "Thanagar has a powerful police force. Maybe if you put your foot down, you can stop these attacks. And it probably wouldn't hurt to knock some heads in on this council of yours as well. They seem to not consider purism an issue, and if the violence against members of your society is not a problem to them, then it shouldn't be a problem if you violently remove them from any position of authority."

Orin looked at her like she had grown a second head behind those wings of hers. When she suddenly laughed, his brow furrowed. "What?"

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Shayera said, smiling. "In all seriousness, Orin, if these Elders are Purist sympathizers, you need to put your foot down. At least figuratively. They sound like they are nothing but trouble as it is."

The king nodded, giving himself a lot to consider. "Thank you for the advice, Hawkwoman. I will see what I can do."

"Any time." The mace swung once around her arm, a mischievous smile rising on her face. "I'd love to see them sympathize with this."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 2, 20:29 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Tula was practically pacing in front of the restaurant, making both Naruto and Garth incredibly nervous and probably upsetting anyone inside who could see them. "He's half an hour late, Naruto. Stop giving me that look."

"If you'll sit down and worry, at least you won't carve a path in the ground below you," he stated. Just to spite him, she kicked off and began swimming in line, flipping back and forth in an effort that looked extremely taxing.

"Seriously, Tula, will you stop? It's not like something happened to him. He just needed to sort some things out," Garth pleaded.

When the redhead finally did listen, planting her butt on the seat outside the diner, she lightly kicked back and forth, so rhythmically that the effect was the same. Naruto sighed loudly and she stopped, sheepish.

"I'm sorry. I just don't like any of this."

"Weren't you the one who said he could work this out on his own?" Garth asked.

"I might have said that, but I retract my statement now," Tula explained.

Naruto just smiled. Kaldur was lucky to have so many people care about him and his well-being.

"I just worry about him. I can't help it," she said after another few moments. "He's an insecure person. He passes it off as being humble, but I've had conversations with him about how he doesn't value himself like he does other people."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _That fits too well... _Garth frowned. "How can he not see what others see in him? Why does he... not like himself?"

"If this is what being a teenager is like, then I don't want to grow any older."

Garth thumped him on the shoulder, earning a pointed teeth-bearing grin. "Shut up, kid. Why do we hang out with you again?"

"Because of my charming good looks and hilarious sense of humor. Ooh, and I'm awesome."

Tula rolled her eyes before laughing. "Whatever you say, Naruto."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, but it was clear that Garth had something on his mind. "If he doesn't hurry, we'll have to eat without him, or they will cancel the reservation."

Tula sighed heavily, bubbles forming in front of her mouth. "Fine. Let's go."

Naruto nodded lightly and they stood up from their positions, turning to head inside. He glanced backward just as the familiar face rushed into view, swimming toward them quickly.

"You aren't going to eat without me?"

Tula raced forward and hugged him tightly, and Garth shook his hand. Naruto just waved at their display, feeling oddly alone. Normally, he would never consider their difference in ages, but they were three years older than he was. They were... more tightly-knit than he was to them, so sometimes it bothered him.

Within a few moments, the four of them were seated and already prepared to order their usual meals. Their spot near the back of the restaurant, right along the end of the row of windowed openings overlooking the open ocean. It was truly the best view in the house, and staring at it gave Naruto chills.

"So what took you so long?" Garth suddenly said, breaking the calm that had settled since they sat down.

Kaldur smiled. "I have been doing some thinking-"

"At the coral cliffs?" Tula suddenly asked, reminding Naruto of Kaldur's favorite place in all of Poseidonis.

When the older teen nodded lightly, she smiled. "Yes. You know me well. But no, I have been considering what I need to do and I think I am going to take three days off from school and head home."

"To Shayeris?" asked Naruto.

The teenager nodded. "Yes. I think a visit with my parents will allow me to clear my head."

Garth crossed his arms. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. A vacation to refresh."

"Exactly. I think it will help me decide what I want to do moving forward."

Naruto considered that, looking at Tula's worried eyes. Kaldur needed to ask his parents whether or not he wants to stay in the advanced class or drop behind. He had to hope it would work in their favor, because not a single one of his friends wanted him to fall behind.

"Well, we're coming with you. I have a few days saved up, and I'm sure Naruto can vouch for us with Savenna to make sure it's okay," Tula suddenly declared.

"I can't make any promises," Naruto said, immediately liking the idea. Kaldur's parents seemed really nice. "But I don't think she would say no. Just so long as we aren't gone long. I'm prepared to beg."

Within a few short moments, everyone started talking about what they needed to pack, if anything, but Kaldur was speechless. "You three would come with me?"

"Of course we would," Naruto said, grinning. "Why wouldn't we?"

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 3, 15:11 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera entered the office, her guard stopping behind her. She couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face when she saw her husband. Naruto had just left with his friends after all, and she was worried he would have left already as well. "Oh, thank Poseidon you're still here!"

The king stood from his desk and embraced her quickly, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Of course. I wouldn't leave without saying anything to you."

The woman's face fell, slightly ashamed she would assume differently. She knew that the situation was difficult. The sixth Purist attack within the past month and a half? It spoke volumes. "What's the plan?"

"I'm heading to Lemuria to get the information directly, rather than through Orm," he explained, before his face lit up with realization of something. "Oh, I almost forgot. My brother will be here to help if you need him. You only have to ask, if something happens that you can't handle."

She raised an eyebrow playfully. "You aren't suggesting that I'm suddenly incapable, are you?"

"Of course not!" The king blushed; she knew he understood how many times she had watched the throne for him before. "I am merely passing the message along from him just in case."

The woman smirked. "Just messing with you." They kissed briefly, before he broke away, forcing himself to leave. She frowned lightly.

"I need to leave soon. The others are waiting for me already, and if I want to get there by morning..."

She smirked and placed a hand on her hip, teasing him with a tiny bit of her exposed hip. "Of course. I'll be waiting for you when you get back." He practically salivated before clearing his throat. She just laughed. "Be careful. Do you know when you'll be back?"

"It shouldn't be more than a few days," he said after a moment. "I will try to be quick."

She shook her head. "No, be thorough. You need to figure out if there's some mastermind out there, and every detail is necessary. Channel your inner Bruce if you have to."

Orin actually laughed before finally walking away from her. "I love you. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I love you too."

* * *

**SHAYERIS  
APRIL 4, 10:23 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

The second he swam close enough to see it, the light from the city on the ocean floor caught his eye. It was the first time he had ever seen this city-state, and it was absolutely brilliant. The waters were naturally darker here due to the depths, but the magic lighting the way seemed even bright by contrast.

"I wish King Orin could install one of those Zeta tubes in all the city-states," Naruto said, reaching down to rub his calf and stall their progression.

"Zeta tubes?" The look on Garth's face was one of pure confusion. "What the hell is that?"

"Uhh," Naruto started, trying to think of an explanation. "It's a teleporter. Instant transmission." Garth suddenly understood and nodded, laughing at the idea.

The redheaded girl rolled her eyes. "Geez, you two are such nerds. When is it ever okay to reference that surface-world series?"

"When is it _not_ okay to reference DBZ?" Garth asked, earning a hand-shake from the blonde.

"I imagine that it would be _straining_ to have interconnected teleporters for anyone to use," Kaldur explained, thoughtful, "considering the political climate of late."

Tula was impressed. "At least Kaldur has some sense."

The tallest of their group was swimming considerably faster than they were, trying to get to his home. They were all tired and struggling to keep up with him. Naruto, personally, was confused as to why they swam the whole way here, but at least they didn't try to swim to Lemuria. Shayeris was the closest other kingdom.

He eyed the dark-skinned Atlantean as they descended into the city quickly. Kaldur had always been more military-minded than any of their group; he took to those lessons, and his military service, very seriously. It was just like him to point out the political issues with installing Zeta tubes to connect the seven kingdoms, especially with whispers of rebellion on everyone's mind.

No one would tell Naruto anything about it. The older he got, the more independent he became, the farther he was removed from the king and queen. Mera, with the help of the other instructors of the Conservatory, had raised him, but there was a sort of distance between them now that he couldn't understand. He wasn't bitter about not seeing them as regularly, because he had plenty of things to occupy his time. He merely missed them, and he no longer had an ear in the throne room, so to speak.

Soldiers swam up to greet them, and Kaldur showed his identification as a fellow soldier. Naruto was slightly jealous to see the other boy with that kind of authority, and wondered when he would begin his own service in the military. Tula was, as a female, immune and Garth had served for the standard six months. Kaldur had an extended stay and remained in service for nearly two years before shifting to the Conservatory to broaden his horizons.

"It's an amazing city, Kaldur," Tula explained as they escorted them farther into the city. "I haven't seen it since I was a little girl."

The other boy beamed. "Thank you. I do not spend as much time here as I would like."

Naruto swam forward and clapped the older boy on the back. "Well, at least we'll be here for a few days. That'll tide you over for a while." That earned a smile from the more serious boy.

The blonde was merely glad to get to spend so much time away from the Conservatory. His studies were naturally important to him, but he had to admit that he was taking personal advantage to Kaldur's situation. A break would be good for all of them, not just for Kaldur.

After they were finished being verified, the eldest lead the three of them through the sprawling city. Naruto greeted any passing citizens with a wave as he passed, preemptively deciding not to show his teeth. But when he saw an entire family with puffer-fish for a head, he realized that it was considerably more liberal here. When he did give a toothy grin, not one person flinched at the sight.

When they finally arrived at a small home in a relatively nice neighborhood, Kaldur was so proud. Naruto admired the colorful arrangement of fish living in the coral nests surrounding the building, nodding to them as their primitive emotions flooded his mind. He sent happy thoughts, like the scent of Mera's favorite anemone tea, to them, and they danced around him excitedly before returning. It slightly saddened him to realize he had not had her tea in a long time.

"We're here," Kaldur said, swimming excitedly up to the door of the red building.

"You should teach me how to do that," Garth suggested as Kaldur knocked on the door.

"How to knock?" asked Naruto, confused as a curious clown-fish danced around his arm. Garth rolled his eyes and pointed, apparently scaring the fish back to the coral bed. "Oh, sorry. I don't think it's teachable, but there might be some spell you can do." The brunette just nodded as the door finally opened.

A beautiful woman with golden hair and nearly the same skin color greeted them at the door, her face so positively bright. Her green outfit went well with her beauty. It was almost staggering, and the mythology buff in Naruto wondered if this was what naiads looked like. If not, they should, because Kaldur's mother was divinely good-looking.

The man behind her had the same shade of skin as Kaldur, and an interesting calming look on his face. An all-purple body suit showed an impressive figure, fitting to him like a second-skin. _This man was a fighter..._ He understood where Kaldur got it from.

"Kaldur'ahm! I am so glad to see you again!" the woman exclaimed, grasping him in a hug like she didn't want to let go. "Those bags under your eyes just won't do. You need to get more sleep!"

Kaldur's father rolled his eyes. "Come on now, pearl."

Naruto, Tula, and Garth all smiled as Kaldur let go of his mother's embrace and finally ushered them inside. "Mother, father, these are my friends. Naruto, Tula, and Garth. They are all in the advanced class."

Tula clasped her hand carefully. "It's good to meet you, Sha'lain'a. You are even more beautiful in person than you are in pictographs."

Naruto and Garth greeted both of them in sequence. "I'm so glad to be here. You have a cool home. This isn't the style they have in Poseidonis." The blonde smiled, and the woman leaned down to the shorter eleven year old.

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" Naruto merely grinned, bearing his teeth to gauge her reaction. When she smiled brighter, his heart fluttered.

"Yes, ma'am. Mera always prides me on that."

Calvin looked at him in surprise. "Mera? As in Queen Mera?"

Naruto waved it off, but it was Garth that explained it. "He's been raised in the Conservatory his whole life. The queen and the other instructors were like his surrogate parents."

"Don't spend as much time with them as I used to, but yeah," he added. "I guess you could say that Mera and Savenna were like my moms..."

Kaldur's mother just glanced at him and then back at her son, but Naruto didn't catch what the look meant. He could assume what the silent glance said, and was glad that Sha'lain'a didn't ask the question that undoubtedly rose to her mind. Most people didn't bother having the tact, and he didn't want to have to explain it if he didn't have to.

Kaldur clapped a hand on his shoulder as he lead them into the home, and Calvin closed the door behind them. "I am so glad that you brought friends home with you, Kaldur. I have got some clam in the kitchen that I can fix if you are hungry."

Tula shook her head, but Garth and Naruto were already nodding. "I don't think we should impose."

"Nonsense!" Sha'lain'a said with a smile. "You're going to be staying here after all, and if Calvin and I don't cook for you, then it wouldn't sit right with me."

"Um... ma'am?" asked Naruto sheepishly. The woman raised a questioning eyebrow. "Do you have anything vegetarian? I don't eat meat."

Calvin laughed. "I have to say, with your teeth, that is a little surprising. But I make a great kelp salad, so no problem."

Naruto beamed, feeling respected.

* * *

**LEMURIA  
APRIL 4, 11:21 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

The scene of the latest incident had been quarantined by soldiers and was surrounded by a yellow stability spell that would ensure that no evidence left the scene. Despite the fact that the attack happened several days ago, it was still attracting attention from curious civilians.

"I still assure you, King Orin," the man beside him said, "my men have already analyzed all of this area. You needn't have bothered with a visit."

Orin merely nodded once. "And King Rajar, I assure you that I am deeply troubled by the turn of events. These attacks _have_ to be coordinated by someone, and I wanted to personally investigate the crimes."

"Isn't that a little much?" asked the dark-haired, bearded king wearing a brown robe over his black and silver armor. "Surely the king of Atlantis himself has more important matter-"

Orin sighed as he stepped over the enchanted line, eyes scanning the area. "Is everyone going to question my authority this week?"

Rajar gasped, immediately reconsidering his words; Rajar had never been a proud man, which Orin was thankful for when the seven Kings met at the Kingshead. "I... I am sorry, my King. I did not mean any disrespect. I just assumed that you had confidence that I would investigate fully."

Orin whipped his head around. "And I do. I merely wished to take a glance at it myself. Lemuria is only the latest attack in a series, and I wanted to compare my survey of the scenes with all of the reports I have received."

He knew his tone was unpleasant, but it was a necessary evil. He was, quite frankly, tired of the bullshit that everyone kept feeding him. He didn't think that Rajar was being insincere, but at this point, he couldn't be sure of anything in the power structure of Atlantis. Was it always as unstable, or was this a product of troubling times?

He must have spent hours looking over every finite detail, but it didn't take very long before he caught something that didn't appear to be on the report. When the very impatient Lemurian King finally glanced down in curiosity, Rajar held a patch of fibers that had disguised itself in the sand below. They were red and black, although the colors might not have meant anything.

"Is that the piece we are looking for?" Rajar asked suddenly. "Could we discover who caused these crimes?"

"Not sure." Orin was admittedly uncertain if it would mean anything at all, but he deposited it into a small shell-shaped box. After another couple of hours of searching, he found nothing more that would actually help. After another moment, he glanced up.

"Get this through a psychometric scan," he said after a moment of consideration. "That should tell us something about the clothing the attacker was wearing, and potentially even the identity of the attacker if there is some DNA involved." He remembered the report, and the victim's clothes wouldn't match the fibers.

When Rajar took the evidence from him and ordered the scan, Orin was slightly proud of himself. He wondered what Bruce would say, remembering Mera's words.

* * *

**SHAYERIS  
APRIL 4, 19:03 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

"So how are your studies actually going?" Calvin asked the group in general, but especially locking eyes with Kaldur.

"Well, I suppose, it's okay," Tula answered first after sensing Kaldur's distress. "I have a lot of trouble here and there, but-"

"Are you kidding?" Garth asked suddenly. "She's the best one of all of us, and we all know it."

It was true. Tula was passing with flying colors, and Garth was second-only to her. If Naruto hadn't had as much time to work on all of it, he doubted he would be anywhere near the most advanced students in the advanced class. Kaldur was the weakest link, but not by much. There were students in the class who were doing worse than he was, but he believed he was progressing the slowest. That might have been true, the more Naruto thought of it.

"Oh really?" Sha'lain'a said, taking a bite of their dinner as they watched the fish swim by them on the patio, the dark blues dancing above them as the sunlight shifted far above. "Tula, I didn't know you had it in you."

"It's all just book work, mostly," she said. "Kaldur's much better with the practical application of spells. He's got a good idea of strategy that most people don't have."

_That's true_, Naruto agreed silently. A tiny nurse shark swimming near them looked at him with a puzzling eye, and he realized he was projecting his thoughts too easily.

Calvin gripped his son's arm in a comforting gesture. "That's great. I always knew you were intelligent!"

The dejected Kaldur finally looked up from his plate, giving everyone a look and a smile, but there was no mirth behind it. "I do not agree with that sometimes, Father. I am worried that I will not able to keep up. As each month passes, I have struggled more and more to maintain my studies. I fear I will do better if I shift to the lower class."

His mother frowned. "But Kaldur, surely you can just do extra work to make up for it."

"We will help you practice!" Garth suddenly suggested as the idea ran through his mind.

"In fact, we'll help you right now. Savenna did say we had to do drills, or she would have never approved of us leaving," Naruto explained, remembering the instructor's words.

Calvin clapped once. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

"I am not sure if it will help," Kaldur explained, content to sit in his seat.

"C'mon, Kaldur," Tula said, pleading with her eyes. "It's a fantastic idea. You can show off what you know to your mother and father! It'll be great."

When he didn't immediately respond, Garth suddenly shot up from his seat as the idea struck him, floating a little bit above them. "I know! We can make it like a sparring tournament. That way we can all get a piece of the action."

Naruto latched onto that idea; he was always in for a good fight. "I'm in. But I'm not going easy on anyone."

Kaldur eventually agreed, a kind of bounce in his voice that wasn't there before. He seemed excited about it, despite feeling so bad. "All right. But let's do it tomorrow. We need to rest."

* * *

**LEMURIA  
APRIL 4, 20:35 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Orin looked up from his position in the meeting room of Lemuria's palace, a dreary place with an open roof that let the natural light shine through. Despite that, the walls were such a dark purple, almost black color that made it very dark, except for the luminescent coral growing along the floor and intervals, almost like torches he had seen on the surface.

Rajar sat in front of him, his thumbs rattling, and they were discussing more light-hearted matters. As the night grew later, Orin was growing more and more impatient and their conversation had died down. How long would it take for a psychometric scan? He, personally, had not had to use that kind of scan before. Part of him wondered if it would be a good idea to call Zatara, because the League's expert thaumaturgist would probably be able to fashion much faster results.

When someone in a robe, most likely from the Conservatory, was ushered in and flanked by two guards, Orin stood from his seat at the same time that Rajar did. "Do you have any good news?"

The mage nodded lightly, her expression incredibly gaunt. "The fabric's memories were... difficult. More difficult than normal objects are to discover, which suggests they may have enchanted the fabric to avoid any kind of psychic attachment. But there was a microscopic amount of blood near the end of one of the fibers, most likely from a small scratch that the victim managed to place on the attacker. We were able to isolate it with magic and analyze it, and we know who it belongs to."

Orin raised an eyebrow when the mage didn't finish. "Who?"

"The former King of Nanauve, Chon'drakha."

* * *

**SHAYERIS  
APRIL 4, 23:00 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

The coral cliffs in his hometown were much brighter and more impressive than anywhere in Poseidonis that claimed to be the same natural phenomenon. Most of the Atlantean city-states were built out of natural coral reefs, and then augmented by sorcery to be used as shelter and food. The place where the city ends and the ocean begins was a huge drop-off, and everything around it was so beautiful and deep. The only light came from the city, but it was enough to even illuminate much of the ocean around it.

He held up the water bearer in his hand, his tattoos bursting to life once more. In mere moments, the water formed around him until it solidified into a bright blue replica of the nursery. At this size, it was easy to maintain, but when he began to expand it in size and generate multiple buildings to surround it, the entire spell crumbled into dark nothingness, like the open ocean before him.

He slammed a frustrated hand against his knee, wincing from the pain of such a heavy hit. _That was stupid._

"I knew you'd be out here."

Kaldur turned to see his mother approaching quickly, a half-smile on her face. "Hello, Mother."

"We haven't gotten much of a chance to talk in private," she said, her expression kind. "How are you doing?"

"As well as can be expected," he said truthfully, downcast. He couldn't avoid how he was feeling, even with all of his friends around him making him feel better.

"Talk to me, Kaldur'ahm," she said earnestly, bumping into his shoulder with hers and then sparking the biggest grin. "Tell me how you're feeling. I'll do what I can to make it better."

Everything hinged on this moment. To tell her everything or to not tell her everything. He feared no_ real_ judgment from his own mother, but there was something irking him of late, and he didn't think he had anyone to talk to about it fully.

"I feel so inadequate," he finally stated, his stomach twisting in a knot that wouldn't go away until he opened up about the rest of his recent thoughts. He pushed those feelings away and settled for the more obvious issue at hand. "My friends are all these incredible sorcerers-in-training, who will grow up to be resources for the Conservatory of Sorcery and Atlantis as a whole. I mean, Naruto is a natural wind mage, and those don't happen often. Tula has all these amazing skills, and all of Garth's spells are naturally more powerful. Did you know Tula was the youngest student to ever master her tattoos to the point where they aren't visible?"

"No, I didn't, but now that you mention it, I didn't see hers. I wondered if she just didn't have them yet, but that doesn't make any sense," Sha'lain'a admitted.

"I feel so unimportant, unimpressive. I don't even know what I'm good at, and no matter how many times they say otherwise, it never feels true."

There was a long moment where all his mother did was listen to the waters swirling naturally around them. A silver ray floated by, staring at them for a few seconds with flapping wings, and Sha'lain'a suddenly frowned, turning away from it.

"Kaldur'ahm, this is what growing up is all about," she explained. "You don't have to have all the answers right now. You're still young and have a long life ahead of you. When we hit challenges or obstacles that seem impossible to surmount, you merely have to ask for help. As wonderful a person you are, you will always have people around you who are willing to help you.

"What you're feeling right now is temporary," she continued. "These classes are just an obstacle you need to overcome, and I assure you that all of your friends will be there for you along the way. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I will be too."

Kaldur grinned, instantly feeling better about more issues than just one. "But what do I do about my curriculum at the Conservatory?"

"There's no shame in dropping to the lower class if you truly feel that is what is best for you," she explained. "It might take you twice as long to get to the same point that the others will reach, but if you become a better mage because of it, perhaps that is what you need to do."

Kaldur considered her words. "So you want me to drop the advanced class?"

She shook her head. "I want you to do what you think is best for you."

"No pressure then," he said, earning a laugh from his mother.

"Let's get you to bed. You've got quite a bit of sparring to do in the morning, don't you?"

He nodded. "I'll be back in a minute."

Focusing on his magic, the spell activated and there was suddenly a crude glowing model of Tula and Garth's heads, spinning around in front of him. His eyes were drawn to both of them, each for different reasons, but when his gaze settled on Tula, the spell on his right water bearer faded away.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 03:29 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Vulko's mind was fluttering, staring at the impossible results before him and practically shouting with glee. If there was anyone else in the Science Center, he doubtlessly believed they would think he was crazy.

Perhaps they were onto something, as he started at the scroll, looking at the print-out of the amount of power. It was more than he had ever imagined, and it had absolutely no side-effects. There was no influence on the environment, only harmless forms of radiation, and the amount of power sealed within it was palpable to the touch.

He had spent the last several hours poking and prodding it, trying to understand it with his equipment. After all, he'd spent nearly eleven years of his life working on this project. This was just one of many positive breakthroughs that have happened over the past several years. But this was the first time he had viably created it from only a tiny amount of scratch materials, and it seemed relatively stable. _It's an actual life-form!_

"Amazing..." the scientist muttered under his breath, the clam-sized brick of orange-red crystal partially glowing as the artificial light ran across it.

This was a power source that could revolutionize all of Atlantis! And to think that a tiny baby from another dimension delivered it to them; it would have to be strong to shield an infant's journey through dimensions. Vulko furiously noted that it could, quite literally, change the entire world of energy infrastructure, glancing over his packet of notes. Hidden among those pages were the processes that could create more, and if he had several more years of research, he could easily speed up the process.

The scientist stood up from his seat and swam around the room excitedly, realizing that his entire body was too stiff from sitting in that chair for so long. He wanted to swim to the palace to tell the king, but it was in the middle of the night and the king was off on business. He felt odd telling Queen Mera about the development; he didn't have the same relationship with her, but he respected her just the same.

Vulko finally resigned to explain it to her in the morning, after he had several hours of rest. Swimming down to sit in the chair, he began to log his latest thoughts in the journal that had documented his entire career.

He barely managed to inscribe the last word before a sudden shot of pain hit his chest. Vulko glanced down, only having barely enough time to see the three-pointed gold weapon sticking from his chest. Blood flecked across its surface, leaking onto the paper and his last thought was how he was going to clean that from his notebook.

* * *

_**Oh man, I am so proud of this chapter. I don't even know why, I just feel really good about it. It hits a lot of the things I wanted it to hit, as well as maintaining a decent length.**_

_**Anyway, let me know what you think about the chapter as a whole in a review! **_


	7. Edge of the Current

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties.**_

* * *

_**.:07:.**_  
_**Edge of the Current**_

**ATLANTIC OCEAN  
APRIL 5, 03:56 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Once the crystal and all of Vulko's notes were sealed within the black container, a unintelligible crimson circular sigil burned into the surface. The man influenced what small amount of magic he possessed, the blood of the dead man at his feet clearing away with a faint glow of purple light. Neptune's Trident gleamed in his hand, now cleared of any evidence and vibrating lightly under the power of Vulko's life force swimming under its surface.

"It's a pity," he said, teasing the bearded corpse with his foot. "You shouldn't have rushed to share your results."

The man held up his wrist, pulling back a hidden panel on his dark blue armor to reveal a communicator powered by a combination of technology and magic to work anywhere. "L-5 to L-7."

The screen activated, revealing the angular silhouette of the Lord of Chaos. The image cleared to show his tiny red eyes, face contorted with rage. "Yes? What did you need? I was busy with another task; do you know how hard it is to find a Martian who doesn't want to be found? By the way, that helmet looks incredibly stupid."

Ocean-Master scowled behind the helmet, his grip tightening on the trident. Klarion merely smirked at seeing him so tightly-wound. "I have the crystal and all of Vulko's documentation."

The wizard's face rose and he looked practically giddy, laughing. "Of course!" Without warning, he snapped his fingers and a tiny black and red portal swallowed up the container from his very hand. "It's back at home base. The others will start on it right away."

Ocean-Master nodded, still slightly irked at having to deal with the timeless Lord of Chaos. A sudden thought ran across his mind. "Hey, can you perform that trick to get rid of the body?"

"Which one?" After he sighed, Klarion got the message. "Oh! Gotcha. I can take care of that for you. Sixty seconds."

"Wait, what?" Ocean-Master watched in abject terror as the room started to grow warmer, a tiny red blip appearing in the water at eye level above the center of the room. The blaze was powerful, the flickering flame no larger than a candle, but far hotter. As he watched, it seemed to start expanding at a rapid rate.

"Fifty-five seconds."

The prince-in-disguise got the message, immediately swimming up and cutting a hole through the roof with the trident, a burst of controlled lightning reducing it to nothing. An image of Vulko ran through his mind as the life-force stored within the trident was expelled. Ignoring it, he swam hard, trying to get as much distance between him and the building.

Mere moments later, when he found himself hidden behind a huge stone outcropping, the Science Center and everything within it suddenly exploded, black and red energy reducing everything to ash. A shock-wave of water rushed over him, destroying the walls of nearby buildings from how powerful it was as it spread into the city.

"Do you_ have_ to be chaos personified with every action you take?"

The Witch Boy laughed into the communicator, sending a chill down Ocean-Master's spine. "You should have seen my mother." A moment passed before the Lord of Chaos cleared his throat. "How goes our little pet project?"

Ocean-Master merely smiled. "The piece is in place, and because of that, I'm ready to make my move."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 05:12 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera held her crown, running her fingers across its golden surface. She could feel her heart beating incredibly fast in her chest, the adrenaline of the situation burning away any state of sleep she had been in. A sigh passed through her mouth before she lifted the crown, placing it back on her head.

_This is worth it,_ she reminded herself. _You are the most powerful person in this city right now. You have the authority. Do it for Orin._

Soldiers came in and out of the area, running messages to and from everywhere across the city. _No one is safe until I can help them find the source of this explosion._

Stepping toward the cloud of hot ash, she called on her magic to become a source of light. A disgruntled eel swam by, probably unable to really understand all that had happened. If Orin or Naruto were here, perhaps she could have them ask.

Brushing that tangent aside, the water around her began to swirl until the entire scene was encapsulated in a huge dome of water. Bright blue tendrils extended from her control and began to seek out inconsistencies, washing over the entire space and poking into the cloud of dust.

In the corner of her eye, Prince Orm suddenly appeared, his face aghast but determined. "I've sent the message to my brother. Do you think you will discover anything with that?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. "The water will find what shouldn't be there if there is a trace." She was thinking of explosive residue or perhaps even the source of the depth charge that caused this. "Order everyone to stay in their homes. We don't know if this is the end to this attack."

The prince nodded, swimming backward to the great ring of civilians that had been separated by a line of soldiers and mages. She heard him repeat his message, but no one seemed apt to understand or even move. "If you do not leave now, I will ensure you'll never leave the inside of a prison cell again for a crime against the crown." Orm's voice seemed even-tempered and confident, and Mera felt a sudden sense of loyalty and pride; the spell seemed to respond in kind, glowing ever so brighter. "Your queen has made an order that you _will _respect."

When they began to leave, military escorts followed as the impromptu curfew began, forcing all civilians to remain indoors until the immediate danger was gone. Mera wouldn't let anyone else lose their lives because of her bad judgment. That would reflect on her legacy and on her husband's, and she wouldn't stand for it. The crown had to mean _something._

"What do you wish for me to do about the Elders?" asked Orm from her side, watching intently as her diagnostic spell continued.

She frowned, considering her options. None of them were good. "Stall them until Orin returns. I'm sure they won't risk their necks by coming out on the streets, so let them stay where they are, out of the way. You and I will handle the situation later."

The dark-haired prince nodded lightly. "Did you hear... what they said? It's awful."

Mera furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Orin's Science Advisor is dead," he explained. "He was inside the center when it happened. Everyone else had gone home, but he stayed behind, working on one of his solo projects." Mera nearly lost control of the spell, meeting his gaze with wide eyes. "I visited him in Orin's place yesterday morning, and I can understand why he was attacked."

"What do you mean?"

The prince just shook his head. "He said he had something to show Orin, something connected to Naruto. He wouldn't let me see what it was, but I have my suspicions."

Mera focused harder on the spell, if only to clear her mind a bit to try to understand what was happening. How could this have anything to do with him? He wasn't even in the city.

* * *

**NANAUVE  
APRIL 5, 09:08 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Orin swam as hard as he could, a feat that tested his endurance and proved his dedication. He had been moving non-stop for hours, and his heart was beating fast. The city stretched out before him, mostly made of giant outcroppings of rocks with very little coral. He wished he had time to enjoy it, but the situation couldn't call for it.

"Let me through," he said automatically, not bothering to take the time to explain when two border patrol guards approached. They nodded, allowing him to pass under the magical dome surrounding the city. "I have official business with King Nanaue."

The dark-haired soldier, a young woman with the lower half of an octopus, peered at him, a gleaming sword at her waist. "He was not aware that you were coming."

"Of course not. This is very last minute, ma'am," he explained. "I'm afraid I cannot divulge the reason for my visit to anyone but your King."

She looked smug for a moment, before turning to let him pass. "At least you acknowledge that _he _is my King."

He stopped suddenly in front of her, not turning to meet her eyes but held the intensity in his face. "What's your name, ma'am?"

She didn't skip a beat. "Hilana."

"Hilana, do you enjoy serving Atlantis?" Orin turned to look at her pointedly.

After a short moment of consideration, eyes wide at his facial expression, she nodded. "Yes, I do. It's the most important thing in my life."

He met her gaze. "That's great. But that means that serving me is the most important thing in your life. You'd do well to remember that."

The Poseidonis native swam away from the soldier, and Orin was silently proud of himself for how he handled that. It didn't matter which of the seven kings one served; they also served him, and they should not forget it.

When he found the rocky, angular palace, apparently word had spread, because King Sha'ark was already outside waiting, surrounded by a small escort and a few aides. "It's good to see you again," Orin said. "Can we speak inside? We have quite a bit to discuss."

The man nodded, his shark-like head tilting forward as he did. "Of course, King Orin."

* * *

**SHAYERIS  
APRIL 5, 9:31 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Naruto paced outside the home, waiting on the others to finish their breakfast. He was already preparing hand-to-hand drills, wishing he was slightly better than he was. Even so, it was helping him warm-up for the small tournament they were going to have, and he was pumped. Kaldur had been in a much happier mood all morning, probably because of relaxation with his parents; being around Mera and Orin in private usually calmed him the same way. Garth and Tula were merely happy that Kaldur seemed much more like his usual self. Although Tula had asked him multiple times if he was okay, almost like an overbearing mother.

"Are you ready?" asked Garth, coming out of the house and tying up his hair.

"Of course I am," he answered. "How are we going to do this? Flip a drachma?"

Garth looked at him quizzically before smirking. "Yeah, that makes the most sense. We can figure out who will fight who first."

"Whom," a voice corrected, revealing Tula with a smile on her face as the door behind her closed. "Kaldur's almost ready, and Calvin and Sha'lain'a are going to watch."

Naruto was getting more excited every time he considered it, thinking about the situation strategically. He sized up both of the other three, thinking about their obvious strengths and weaknesses. Or at least, he would be if he could perceive any. He wasn't sure if he had the right kind of brain to figure out a strategy targeted to each of them. But even so, he didn't stop trying.

But when Kaldur and his parents suddenly burst out of the home, everyone turned to see their frantic and worried faces. "I have been summoned to Poseidonis," Kaldur explained, a kind of sad look on his face. "Someone has destroyed the Science Center, and murdered the Chief Science Advisor to the crown."

_Vulko?_ Naruto thought as his shoulders tensed, alarmed. "Why? Do they know who did it?"

"No," the older boy said, before turning to his parents. "I must leave immediately. The city needs me. Can you help them get situated to return late-"

Tula shook her head. "Oh, no, we're coming with you."

"Exactly," Garth added. "They need all the help they can get. How bad is the damage?"

Kaldur didn't know, but Naruto turned away from the scene for a moment and was stricken with worry. He tightened his arms around his chest, trying not to think about his worries. Tula must have noticed, because her hand squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm sure the King and Queen are safe. We'll see them both when we get back later today."

Naruto gave her a smile. "Yeah, of course they are. They are both far too powerful to go down that easily."

* * *

**NANAUVE  
APRIL 5, 9:33 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Orin tapped his fingers on the table as he watched the man in the chair across from him, obviously alarmed by the information. The room was made of dark marble, a flame-like ball of coral lighting it almost like Bruce's fireplace.

"It's not possible," King Sha'ark explained, teeth bearing as the anger swelled. "My father is dead."

Orin took a moment to consider that information, because it did seem impossible. After all, Nanaue had received the crown upon his father's passing, and if the man was somehow still alive, then his son had no claim for the throne. Chon'drakha had certainly never abdicated his rule.

"The evidence was indisputable," Orin confirmed. "Chon'drakha was the one who has contributed to the Purist murders in several of the kingdoms. After the DNA was confirmed in Lemuria, I cross-checked it with other data and it all matches." He nearly shuddered when he remembered the brutal evidence in the other psychometric scans.

Nanaue sighed and didn't say anything for several seconds, his mental gears turning. "Why are you calling him that?"

"Hmm?"

"Who in their right mind would name their son after a deity?" Nanaue said with indignation, and Orin made a mental note to ask Diana about that later. "His real name is Kamo. He began calling himself that when he took the crown, and made it illegal to utter the name given to him at birth."

"So he named himself in the likeness of a god?"

"Worse," King Sha'ark said, looking up. "He believed he _was_ a god. Chon'drakha, the Shark God of myth, reborn." The man rolled his eyes. "If this is true, I suppose he _is_ a god because he escaped death." The king laughed lightly, but there was no mirth behind it.

"How can we confirm that this is true?" asked Orin. "Where was he buried?"

The king laughed again, before reaching into his shirt to reveal what looked like a massive shark tooth. "He wasn't. We sent him off in a capsule to wander the oceans forever."

"A warrior's funeral?" asked Orin. The custom was outdated and a little bit blasphemous in the eyes of the very Greek society they lived in. In most of Atlantis, people were buried in the ocean shelf below, to add to the beds of coral with their nutrients.

The man nodded. "Yes. My father was a unique person. But it doesn't matter; we can trace him with this tooth. I keep it on my person at all times, to remind myself to carry his legacy."

Orin wanted to ask him why he would want carry the legacy of a lunatic, but decided it would be in bad taste. That was likely a bit of bias against the other kingdoms leaking into his impression of history.

"So we do a scan, just to see if he's alive. What do we do then?" he finally asked. "How do we stop him from killing again?"

The young king shook his head. "No. If he is miraculously alive again, then I will handle it."

"And I will help you," Orin added firmly.

Nanaue bared his teeth for a moment, a nearly terrifying sight, before he sighed. "Fine. If you insist, I cannot stop you in interfering with my personal business. But I assure you, Kamo was powerful. I'm not sure if you and I can defeat him working together. He might not have been a god, but he had the power to decently back up that claim."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 11:14 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera stood confidently before the Elders, her crown firmly on her head, as they convened within the magically-enforced bunker. She supposed that no one would attack there because no enemies knew about it, and all signs pointed toward an isolated incident.

It was interesting to see the twelve council members in a different setting; there was no large U-shaped table that looked imposing. All of the members were sitting haphazardly around the small room, faces alit by the green protective spells on the walls that matched Mera's clothing. The small room was eerie, filled to the brim with rations. A seemingly exhausted servant stood on either side of the door, ready to deliver any kind of service that they required.

"You wanted to speak to us, my Queen, my Prince, so get on with it," the head of the Elders explained.

Mera met Prince Orm's gaze and finally cleared her throat, before addressing the room. "We have confirmed that the explosion was caused by outside magical means, of an otherworldly-nature." Her words were careful and concise. "It was not a plot of anyone wielding Atlantean sorcery, nor was it some kind of air-breather technology. If it had been the latter, there would have been some kind of bomb-casing found at the sight. The building and all of its contents were completely eradicated, and Chief Science Advisor Vulko was presumably caught in the explosion."

"Presumably?" asked the only female member on the council.

Mera frowned. "I say that because we found no trace of him, and he has gone missing."

"Any attempts to magically or physically search for him are in vain. We can only assume the two events are correlated. Vulko was completely destroyed as the building was," Orm added, a sickening look on his face. Mera felt the pit of grief rise in her stomach, and she forced herself to hold it all down.

The council didn't bother chattering like they usually did, but they all shared glances among one another to try to absorb this information. "You said it was 'otherworldly' energy."

"Yes," Mera nodded. "We know it was magic from elsewhere. There are tons of scrolls about theoretical extra-dimensional energy in the Conservatory's library."

"Other dimensions?" asked another incredulously. "How are we supposed to beli-" The man's eyes widened. "The demon."

Mera gasped, unable to contain the outburst. _Naruto...!_

"Surely it cannot be related," Orm said immediately, making her more confident. "Naruto is not in the city."

"Yes, he left yesterday with three of his friends of the Conservatory to visit Shayeris," Mera confirmed, her unease dying away as she remembered it.

"Convenient," said the head member, earning a few nods from the other Elders.

"It's been eleven years, my dear Elders," the prince explained, backing up her claims. With every word Orm said, she felt more confident; she would owe him a lot after this. "There's never been any sign of odd activity in the boy. Nothing that could ever suggest he is capable of creating this damage."

That seemed to go over as well as she had expected.

"What about his wind sorcery?"

"The Curse of Kordax!"

"He's from another dimension, just like this damned magic!"

Mera was horrified, an image of the boy's spiky blonde hair and beautiful eyes running through her mind. "No! You're all wrong. This was confirmed by Poseidon himself! None of those things are applicable here. Are you questioning a god's judgment?"

She hoped the last line would get them to rethink their words, but she was conflicted herself. She believed one hundred percent that Naruto could never be the cause of this. But Mera remembered Poseidon's warning that they wouldn't be able to predict how people would react to his eccentricities. People who didn't understand those facets of Naruto would assume that he was cursed, destined to ruin everything he touches. It was nonsensical.

"Elders, please, consider the facts. Naruto has nothing to do with this," Prince Orm stated, before looking to Mera with an almost apologetic look on her face. "However, I do know for a fact that Vulko was researching something connected to Naruto shortly before he died. He tried to bring the results of this to my brother's attention, but the King was meeting with you at the time and then left the city before I could meet with him. I talked with Vulko instead about his results."

There was a long pause before the head of the Elders looked at him expectantly. "And?"

"He succeeded in recreating the," Orm paused, trying to collect his words, "_crystal_ that surrounded Naruto and protected him when he arrived here."

All twelve members went slack-jawed for several seconds, a few gasping. Mera couldn't contain her own shock, anger rising to the surface because Orm didn't warn her of this ahead of time. That was dangerous knowledge, and had potentially dangerous consequences. Why would he keep that from her?

She hated agreeing to allow Orm to help her in that moment; she should have taken care of this mess herself. Naruto would have been safe, and she would have been able to proudly handle it. The one time something awful happens in the city, Orin has to be away from it when it does.

Her eyes widened with realization_. Of course! It can't be a coincidence! The attack was planned by someone in the city who knew Orin wasn't here._

"This crystal, if I recall, was the manifestation of the demon Naruto's parents were trying to destroy," said one of the council, sparking even more shock when it was spoken aloud. "Why would Vulko want to revive a demon!?"

"It must have destroyed the Science Center!"

"And I bet Naruto made it happen!"

Mera couldn't believe any of this. It was all so impossible, and the implications for Naruto... they were horrible.

"Elders, please, understand," Orm explained. "This organic crystal could revolutionize our energy output in Atlantis and potentially the world. It was highly energetic, but had no real will. There was no intelligence hidden within it. Vulko merely wished to tap into it, for the good of all."

"And it led to his death. I'll bet anything that this demonic entity was unstable and destroyed him!"

Mera was practically pleading with her eyes at this point, but all of her mental faculties had frozen. Her heart thumped in her chest, fingers twitching lightly in the water, as she tried to understand what was happening.

She turned to the prince. "I need some air... I can't comprehend any of this."

"It's just like a woman to run away from her responsibilities."

Mera whipped her head around so quickly, tattoos blazing as the water swirled around her. She took in their terrified faces, even as Orm grabbed her arm to steady her and prevent her from doing anything rash. It was in that moment that she finally let go of her magic, watching everything die down. Mera took a long, deep breath.

"You think I'm running away from my responsibilities?" She gritted her teeth, the unbridled rage forcing her body to quiver more than the fear ever did. "Who is it that's hiding in a bunker right now?"

* * *

**ATLANTIC OCEAN  
APRIL 5, 13:44 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Orin gripped the hippocampus beneath him tighter, feeling its unbridled emotions as it strained to move at top speed. The small undersea current pushed it along, helping it move more quickly, but it was still expressing its relative exhaustion in his head. _C'mon, girl, keep moving._ The hippocampus seemed to move faster in response, but it could only go so fast.

"How far are we now?" he finally asked to the other King, who was holding the great tooth within a tiny bubble of enhanced water between his hands.

"We're here," Nanaue Sha'ark explained, his teeth showing for a split second from his own hippocampus who was secretly terrified to be ridden by a man that looked like he did. Orin had been sending consoling thoughts the entire time, just to get things to move more quickly. "Down below us, maybe fifty decameters."

Orin angled the creature downward, and the second they exited the current, the water movement seemed to calm. Down below them was what looked like a huge crevice in the ocean floor, a trench that looked improbably dark. The King of Atlantis had to shake his head to keep moving closer, trying to understand.

"You're going to let me take the lead on this," Nanaue said as he moved past him, letting go of his hippocampi. Orin did the same, and both creatures seemed to sense the impending danger and flowed back up to the current, lazily zipping past them.

"Of course," Orin declared, knowing that this was family business. Finding out that your father was alive was complicated, especially when you knew he had died. Orin wondered what it would be like to have discovered that his own dad was still alive. "Did you ever get to see him fight?"

Nanaue looked back at him, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, I did. If this isn't a trick, we're probably going to die."

"Why didn't you bring some of your warriors along with us?"

"Because if anyone stands a chance in this, it's the two of us and no one else. I don't want anyone else's deaths on my hands."

As they moved closer, the water was considerably darker than above, and the only source of good light was King Sha'ark's spell. After a moment of consideration, they approached the beginning of the trench and immediately felt swallowed up by nature.

The water was slightly warmer against his skin, and he glanced to the other king. "There must be magma deep below. Probably not a lot of it, or it would have lit up the crevice. How deep is this thing?"

"The spell would take too long to cast to find out," Nanaue said dejectedly. Orin couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the other man's ability to use sorcery. Neither he nor his father had ever been able to do so, but both Kamo and Nanaue could.

They kept going for several minutes, following the tooth like a beacon, but Orin knew they were near perhaps before the other king did. The wildlife was suddenly silent, and a group of unintelligible fish swam up out of the trench so fast he got whiplash trying to follow.

Orin was almost scared to look down, but when he finally did, he saw the hulking figure swimming up to join them, his lit only by the small amount of sunlight drifting from above. Nanaue turned toward them and the light grew brighter. Orin kicked through the water and gripped the side of the trench, before pressing off with all of his body weight.

He shot through the water, knocking Nanaue out of the path of the monstrous man's jaws. They nearly collided onto the other side of the small trench as they righted themselves, and Nanaue gave only a quick nod of thanks before they both turned to prepare for the next assault.

Floating in the water before them was the man who called himself Chon'drakha. He possessed a staggering similarity with the shark-like traits of his son, but his head was rounder and smooth, faded white lines jagging across his body. The dorsal fin was much thinner, only protruding slightly from his neck. The almost naked body was impressively built, his skin dark blue and covered with black lines. Orin noted the black and red shorts, nearly ripped to shreds; that must have been where the fibers came from. The man's claws were terrifying, and his body was impressive.

"Father?"

Kamo made no sign of reply, nor any sign of recognition someone had said anything at all. The shark-like man began to glow, an odd tattoo he couldn't place, before disappearing in a flash that would give Barry a run for his money. Nanaue barely raised a shield of hard-water in time to stop the sorcery-enhanced rush, but it was still enough to send the other king flying into the wall of trench.

When the enemy reached back a fist and prepared to deliver it into his son's torso, Orin swam forward and grabbed onto the arm with both of his own, careful to ensure Kamo's claws were pointed away from his body. Heaving with all of his might, he attempted to break the man's arm or dislocate his shoulder, but it was to no avail.

The strength of the man's arm was impossible to ignore, and Orin was forced into the ocean shelf only feet away from him, a clawed hand digging into both of their necks. If not for Orin's thick skin, he was almost certain that Kamo would have ripped open his jugular.

The former king roared loudly, all of his rows of teeth bared, and Orin realized the creature was powerful enough to hold him down. The man eyed both of them, his sharp hands causing blood to trickle down Nanaue's neck, lit up by the failed attempts to do anything with his tattoos.

"Father! Stop this!" the son struggled to shout.

Something must have clicked in Kamo's mind, as he met King Sha'ark's gaze. But as he opened his mouth to form intelligible speech, nothing came out, and Nanaue made his move.

A huge jet of water suddenly formed independent of the other king's body, slamming into the so-called Shark God's left side so hard that he was sent hurtling through the ocean. Orin lurched from the wall as he was dragged along, but used the moment of confusion to peel the creature's claws from the bruises on his neck.

Orin didn't let go of the monster's hand, immediately spinning to throw him so hard into the rocky wall that some of it cracked apart, a cloud of dust filling the water. _That broke his wrist for sure. _Kamo drifted downward for a moment, before his speed-enhancing tattoo activated and the left knee slammed into Orin's chest so hard he fell into the depths of the trench, fading in and out of consciousness as his breath left his body.

His gills struggled to keep up as he watched the two shark-people duel above him. Offensive sorcery collided with the undead king at every turn, hard-water weapons and shields doing nothing but prolonging the fight. Orin managed to catch himself as he landed on an outcropping so hard it nearly cracked in half. The Atlantean king glimpsed down below to reveal the tiny glow of red magma, far below them. Even so, the water was a considerably warmer temperature there.

Orin reached into his belt, thinking through what he could do, as he held up the tiny silver rod. He took a long moment of breath to recover, realizing that his entire abdomen felt bruised, before kicking off the wall of the trench to gain speed. Clicking the rod and watching it extend into a silvery trident, he held it with one hand over his shoulder. "Now, Nanaue!"

The shark king seemed to follow his train of thought, a great blast of water disguising his actual tactic, a shoulder-tackle downward. Kamo was forced deeper, as Orin rose higher. The blonde threw the trident so hard that it impaled itself in the creature's tail, and the Shark God let out a mighty scream.

With a burst of unnatural speed, a blue flash of light only visible to the eye, the great creature's jaws locked around Nanaue's shoulder, much to Orin's horror. The Atlantean King swam higher and pried the creature away from his son, leaving a trail of blood in the water around them.

"You okay?"

"I'll live. Got any ideas?"

"Not a clue."

"Great."

Nanaue fired several blasts of water from his uninjured arm, and each exploded into shards of ice as they tried to make impact. Despite the trident still sticking from the monstrous man's body, his sorcery-enhanced movements were not very well impeded, but it was still enough to slow him down to keep up. When Orin grabbed onto the trident in mid-blur, Kamo screamed again as the trident shifted around, extending the unnatural warrior's wound.

A clawed hand collided with Orin's face in a frantic motion, strong enough to scratch into his cheek. The blood stained the water around the king's vision, and he had to brush it away in time to see the creature nearing him with his jaws. With wide eyes, the Atlantean slid into a perfect boxing uppercut, slamming into the creature with enough force to sending him flipping backwards.

Nanaue was waiting, a lance of water in his hand. When it made impact with the creature's leg, it expanded into ice that cut into his shins, forcing Kamo to scream again. Another rope of water turned into ice, connecting with his torso and instantly solidifying. More and more ice covered him, pointed spikes delivering relatively shallow wounds into his thickened body.

In the next movement, Kamo reached back and grabbed the trident, the strength in the movement enough to snap it in half. The pointed end of the trident sunk deeper into the chasm below, much to Orin's annoyance. The other end was thrown in Orin's direction, but it was easily dodged; the creature was getting desperate.

Nanaue cried out as the huge layer of bright blue water slammed into Chon'drakha, instantly covering the rest of his body in a solid layer of ice. Orin let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in when the creature didn't move again, and began sinking toward the bottom. His son created a hard-water tether, connecting the creature to his hand and preventing from sinking farther.

"Will that hold him?" Orin asked, staring at the wound on the other king's shoulder.

"I doubt it," he said automatically, brushing a palm over the bite mark where a veritable chunk had been ripped from his shoulder. "But I'll have to hope."

As though to prove his son wrong, Kamo suddenly struggled and broke free, a roar escaping from his mouth, but Nanaue was instinctively ready. A great jet of water from King Sha'ark's jaws blasted into the father, hitting him so hard he lost consciousness. The jet didn't stop, moving faster and faster until Kamo was going so fast toward the bottom of the trench that Orin realized it was too late.

The magma must have engulfed him as he hit the bottom, and he shot a look back at the other king. "What did you do that for?! He was alive!"

"No." Nanaue turned away from the trench. "No, he wasn't. He smelled like death. It was foolish to think I could capture him."

"But we could have saved him! Your father had a chance again!"

"That wasn't my father," he explained as Orin finally joined him at eye level. "That was just a corpse. Do you really think that man would have Purist tendencies considering what he looks like? There was a puppeteer out there making him do what they wanted, and I am glad to cut the strings."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 14:21 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

"I bet the city is on curfew," Tula said as they passed through the gate and into the dome. Naruto agreed, and Kaldur nodded.

"It's the sensible option," he added. "No one is sure if another attack will happen. You three had better return to the Conservatory just in case."

"Are you sure?" asked Garth, uncertain. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind an extra hand. I've had my stint in the military as well, you know."

"I know that, Garth. When I get more information, I will find the three of you."

When they finally passed over the ridge overlooking the city, a solider approached. "What are you doing?"

"The four of us have been visiting my family in Shayeris," Kaldur explained, showing his badge. "I was summoned back to the city when the explosion occurred. Can you give us an update?"

The woman looked at the three of them carefully, before returning attention to Kaldur. "You should report for duty at Administration. The rest of you should return home or to one of the safe locations marked in each sector of the city."

Naruto ran through those options, realizing the Conservatory was the best option. That was home for him, after all, and would likely be well-defended. He hoped to see Mera, but he was certain she would be too busy at the palace directing the city on lockdown.

The three of them broke off from Kaldur after a wave, heading toward the huge domed building. "I hate being out of the know," he muttered. "I can tell they are keeping things from us on purpose, whether it's a good thing or not."

"For what it's worth, Naruto, you do look a bit young," Garth said as they swam. "It's a little odd to share precious intel to a short eleven-year-old."

"Whatever," he muttered, overlooking the horizon of the city. A part of it was missing, and it appeared the entire Atlantean Science Center was just gone. Vanished completely in the explosion, but it didn't appear to damage any of the buildings around it.

As they approached the Conservatory, Tula shook her head suddenly, stopping. "I need to go find my parents. I don't know if they are at home or at one of the public safehouses, but I can locate them for sure."

Naruto nodded, understanding. "Go for it. If you can't find them, come back here."

"Yeah, we'll wait for you inside just in case. Be safe," Garth said, earning a smile from the girl.

The two boys approached the Conservatory, and it was not a surprise that D'istar answered the door. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"We returned from our trip when we heard about the explosion," answered Garth as the man ushered them inside. "Do you know anything else?"

The man shook his head. "No, everyone's been pretty tight-lipped so far. We've been on curfew since this morning, but we do know there haven't been any more incidents like before."

Savenna swam up to greet them, hugging Naruto once. He hugged the older woman back, a huge grin on his face. "That's good. Maybe it's just a matter of time before they let us go," the blonde answered as he turned away from her.

"Yeah, maybe," D'istar answered. "But in my experience, we could be holed up like this for days if they can't figure out what happened. Uncertainty and all. Eventually, life will turn back to normal again; it always does."

The idea of the entire city on lockdown for several days was not reassuring. He turned to look to Savenna, but the woman had already returned to the other students who were under her care in the great room of the Consevatory. Naruto frowned lightly, understanding that his parental figures had their duties but feeling neglected. Perhaps that was selfish, he wasn't sure.

Naruto sat down next to Garth against the wall, and Topo swam over to join them. The squid-faced boy was oddly bright and cheerful in this time of duress, which was a welcome sight considering how insecure the boy usually was.

"Did Kaldur work through his troubles?" the boy asked. "I could tell something was wrong, but didn't know how to approach him."

"I think he's all right now," Garth said. "Maybe. It's hard to read him sometimes, when he doesn't want you to."

Naruto had to agree, although there were far more moments when he wore his heart on his sleeve. "Yeah, he's probably fine now."

"Good," the boy said, and Naruto surveyed the room. He caught Ronal's eye, and there was something slightly nervous about the blonde boy's expression. He'd have to play up that fear the next time they had to spar in class.

"Sucks that our matches were interrupted," Garth said, earning a grin from Naruto.

"You should be glad of that, because you would have been flat on your back in a few seconds."

Garth raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what makes you think I would allow you to do that?"

"Because you suck."

Garth's retort was cut off when the walls suddenly shook, the sound of a nearby explosion sending a wave of water to rattle the building.

* * *

**I know I'm evil for cutting it off there. This chapter touches on basically everything that has happened in the fic previously. **

**Just so you know, Kamo (or Chon'drakha) is a character from DC Comics that was referred to by different names on different sites, so I just decided to tie into that confusion of naming in the chapter. **

**Let me know what you think about the chapter in a review! Chapter 9 will begin the canon story-line. :D**


	8. Wrath of the Divine

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties.**_

* * *

_**.:08:.  
Wrath of the Divine**_

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 14:59 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Ocean-Master spun the golden trident around in his hand, already channeling power into the weapon built for a king, a tool designed by forces man can never hope to reach alone. The helmet's heads-up display, augmented by Luthor's technology, outlined the weaknesses of the city he could see below him, and each of the four sectors were primed for attack at any moment. He already knew them by heart and understood where the structural weak-points were in the ocean-floor below, but the helmet added a new dimension. In the heart of the city lied the amphitheatre, and beneath that, a secret weapon that had lain dormant for several years.

Someone swam up beside him, dressed in royal attire and an ornate crown on his head. Orm rolled his eyes, glad that Rajar could not see beneath the helmet's protection. "Our forces are ready at all points."

_Our? _Orm inwardly considered, but did not comment. He turned to see the dark-haired man who had been surprisingly easy to convert. He had always been under the impression that his brother was a good king, when looking objectively. But Orm knew he could do better, and the second this was over, there was no way he would allow this man to keep his crown. Rajar would join his brother in death.

"Good. The second the dome falls, everyone will descend from above before it can reset," the future king supplied, and Rajar nodded. "Go back to Lemuria."

Orm looked back to see the forces that King Rajar had risen against Poseidonis, mixed with sympathizers from the other city-states. He'd received a particularly large number of soldiers from Crastinus, and served as the bulk of his own personal forces. They were well known for their Purist king, if you knew who to ask.

Situated around the city at nearly the same depth level were three other groups, all disguised by the same level of magic. It was a small but formidable force, that much was true, compared to the might of all of the capital city. But that was where his friends came in.

Orm smiled even considering it, as he held up the device in his palm, the red button teasing him with the power that would surely mimic Poseidon himself.

"Today is a new age for Atlantis! Tomorrow is a new age for the surface world!" Ocean-Master held up the device for all to see. "And the next day, beyond!" His finger snapped over the button, and for a tantalizing second, nothing happened.

Then a sound reverberated so loudly that it sounded like a huge explosion, and Orm watched with glee as the ground beneath the amphitheatre was destroyed, cracking it in half and splitting the entire shelf in two. Buildings collapsed, homes destroyed, but when the water seemed to realize the ground had been disturbed, a wave of pressure slammed into the very top of the force-field, and only the most structurally-sound buildings could possibly have survived the water swell.

When the wall of sorcery in front of them suddenly flickered and then shattered out of existence, Ocean-Master and his forces descended upon the city like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:00 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO **

It was through sheer instinct that Tula managed to throw up a bubble of hardened water, glowing brightly with cerulean-blue light. The wall of water, displaced by the incredibly loud earthquake, hit her so hard she crashed through the water, unable to catch her bearings. When the girl collided hard against a rock shelf, it was only through the grace of her sorcery that she survived the impact.

She shook off the rough landing, pushing herself off of the unstable ground to swim up, just as the dome collapsed and vanished. "Oh no! Mom! Dad!"

She continued to swim through the area, not fully comprehending as she passed into the residential sector, watching the buildings crumble like they were nothing. She tried to force herself to look away, but on the third home she passed, a little girl was crushed by the wreckage.

Her heart sank, realizing that the odds were slim. A few people were milling about, seemingly surviving only through dumb luck, and the cries of suddenly grieving parents and children brought tears to her eyes; the bulk of the city would be in the fortified bunkers, and that was the only consolation. She was nearly too emotional to move, and she couldn't force herself to be numb with adrenaline. The full force of how many dead they would find later hit her as hard as the displacement of water did.

Soldiers descended on the district, and Tula's hope swelled. They seemed to be from the city itself, dressed in friendly uniforms. She was somewhat relieved for all of two seconds, until she watched one of them spear an old merman with a purple tail, ending his life before her very eyes.

_Trust no one, _her mind shouted, as she tried to hide behind some rubble, her eyes focused all around her. If someone found her, they might not consider her a threat, because her tattoos were gone. She was waiting to spring an ambush, because there were far too many around her to fully comprehend what was happening.

Her mother, her father, and all of her friends were counting on her. She had to survive this, for them. For Garth. And she had to find a way to fight back.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:01 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera swam back and forth, shouting orders from the fortifications of the palace. It had survived the displacement of water, and she knew where she had seen something like this before. The Markovian technology from all those years ago, part of Bedlam's plan, had involved an earthquake-creating machine that could destabilize the seas. This was the only possibility, but how someone had managed to place one of those under their close eye was disconcerting.

"Where was the epicenter of the blast?" she asked, but no one seemed to answer. She suspected it would have been the center of the city, because it would create the greatest amount of destruction. She decided it wasn't important, because one of her aides suddenly shouted that the dome had fallen with the increased pressure.

She knew the mechanics of that far too well. It was the reason why Naruto could never practice his wind sorcery indoors. The dome was never meant to handle inward pressure.

"The backup runes will keep us from being crushed until the dome can be re-established," she shouted, trying to understand any of this; if someone had wanted to kill them all instantly, they would disable those too, so they had to want some of them alive. But before she could do anything, a shadow passed overhead, and suddenly the palace was being stormed by enemy soldiers, and all the soldiers swarmed to protect the entrances.

"Get outside for maximum coverage. Defend your palace!" Everything seemed to click in place: they used the machine to destroy the dome, so they could pass through a weakened city.

She glanced around the room, selfishly wishing that Naruto and Orin were here. But she knew that because they weren't, they had to be safer than this. Her eyes caught the form of a woman in deep prayer, holding up a blood offering to a statue of Poseidon and his wife, Amphitrite. It seemed to shake her out of her reverie, because Mera knew this was no time for prayer.

_This is a time for action._

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:06 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Kaldur followed his commander's lead, the small battalion emerging from the only un-collapsed tunnel that ended abruptly in a chasm on the edge of sector two, the market sector, the quake breaking off the real mouth of the tunnel. They swam through it and were immediately met with a squad of enemy soldiers who seemed to know about the tunnel, waiting for them.

He didn't bother thinking as he swam hard, a weapon made of water appearing on the end of his water-bearers. He slammed the bludgeoning instrument against the back of a soldier, swimming out of the way of a spear from another. He latched on with all his might, crying out as he threw the enemy over his body and right into a firefight of blaster weapons.

Kaldur braced himself with the enemy's spear in hand, deciding that his sorcery wasn't something he could rely on for more than small bursts. He spun directly into a group of three.

Easing out of the way of a blaster shot by only a hair, he stabbed forward with the borrowed weapon and managed to catch one of their legs, blood clouding around the man's lower body. Kaldur met the whites of his eyes and immediately froze, realizing that this was a live human being he was fighting to the death.

He couldn't afford to think as he reacted to the man's retaliating punch, getting hit in the jaw before slinking out of the way of a knife. Kaldur reached forward and slammed his heel hard on the back of the man's tailbone. The mage-in-training grabbed the arm and spun, slinging the man off of him.

He braced himself against the rocks behind him and held up both water-bearers, a shimmering oval shield protecting him from blaster fire as his comrades tried to cover him. They managed to cover him and give an opening, and he kicked off toward them from above. A sword of water landed in the enemy's shoulder, sliding in between the plates of armor.

Kaldur didn't have time to gasp, allowing the construct to fade out of the man's chest and praying that it wasn't vital, before realizing they were thinning out this group already. He had a slight moment of breath before realizing that more were coming, and a quick thought came to mind. "Commander, we should fall back to the Conservatory!"

A nod from the man was all he got, before he relayed the order. Kaldur followed the group carefully, using his shield to protect himself well enough as they swam toward the place where all of his friends were. It was the closest building where it would have ready defenders, and they could use their training wisely.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:10 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

D'istar refused to allow anyone but the eldest students attack the enemy, but that rule was so stupid that both Naruto and Garth elected to ignore it. A look from Savenna was nearly enough to make Naruto halt, but a scream from outside as someone else was shot down brought him back to reality.

The two of them forced themselves outside and were shocked to see D'istar swimming inside of a giant squid construct, his tentacles moving in and out of the enemy lines and grabbing soldiers left and right, squeezing them in the most grotesque ways. It was the most powerful display of magic Naruto had ever seen, and there was a clear reason that D'istar was known for combat sorcery.

Naruto pressed his palm down and both jumped and blasted a bit of air at the time, streaking upward incredibly fast. He stopped at nearly D'istar's eye level, and immediately began to assist as best he could.

Summoning a blade of wind beneath his palm, he hurled it like he would a great discus, and it spun so rapidly it became a spinning blade. Bubbles poured off of it as it streaked toward a line of enemies, tearing through the first's armor and flinging him into the second. The squid construct grabbed the unconscious soldiers and threw them toward the ground, landing in the middle of a group of students who had followed Garth and Naruto's lead.

Naruto held out both arms and spun, generating a sphere of spiraling wind and water that dissipated any magical projectiles before they could reach him, and then he immediately angled himself toward the enemy lines and propelled himself through the water. Like a huge cannon ball, he met contact with an enemy that was throw off from the force of the spinning vortex, a cloud of bubbles streaking after him.

Naruto shouted as a bubble of defensive magic met his own, and the two spheres of magic ricocheted off of each other. It forced him to stop just in time to throw up both arms. The instinctive repulsed concussive force of the wind and water threw the female soldier holding the glowing sword, her tattoos fading as she slammed into the sandy floor below them.

He swam, holding a diamond shield of wind in front of his body, to where he could sense Garth. The older boy was hiding behind a rock formation with several other students, all of them exhausted.

"They just keep coming!"

The brunette nodded, flinching as a blast of water shot overhead. An older female student Naruto had never met threw up a dome over them, part of the glowing apparatus solidifying into ice. "We need a plan. Where's Kaldur when you need him?"

"We need to follow D'istar's lead," Naruto said, meeting Garth's eyes. "Now'd be a good time to get a handle on that tempest magic you're working on." Holding all the power of a storm in the palm of your hands was one of the most advanced forms of all sorcery, and Garth had the aptitude for it.

The boy shook his head. "Still working on that." The shield above them collapsed as a group of two soldiers cut into it, but Garth's hardened beam of water hit them so hard they nearly disappeared from sight. "Who are they?"

Naruto shrugged. "Doesn't matter. If they shoot at us, they're the bad guys."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:23 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Just as one of the soldiers passed her, she smiled and silently thanked Savenna for showing the spell. The makeshift cloaking spell surrounded her body, managing to make it nearly impossible to see her for a limited moment, and it gave Tula the best possible advantage.

She ran along the ground, trying to be quiet and unseen, and it didn't appear that anyone could see her. She knew she could make a difference, but her house was not far away from where she was, and her parents were nearly everything to her. They had to be alive.

Tula passed underneath a firefight as Poseidonis began to fight back against the intruders, and she felt a swell of pride that they were winning and pushing them back. If King Orin would just return, they could drive out their opponents even faster. She made the conscious decision not to get involved, knowing that if her parents had been harmed, they would need her help.

Her heart was pounding when she turned in front of a barely standing building, her own ruined home finally coming into sight. Immediately, rage and concern bubbled up when she saw an enemy soldier ransacking the place.

Tula's tattoos glowed with all the righteous fury she could muster, and a circular array of magical runes lit up the ocean in front of her. Throwing out both fists, huge bolts of water tore through the space between them, and each time one hit, limb after limb, ice formed until the awful woman was stuck to the outer wall of debris, unconscious.

Tula swam with all her might, dropping the cloaking spell. Her heart had skipped a beat just looking at her crushed home. "Mom! Dad!" she cried out, trying to get their attention if they could hear her.

She rummaged through the rubble, shoving rocks out of the way and using her magic to push things out of the way. There had to be someone in there, because her parents had not been at any of the shelters she had checked before this terrible event began. Mom had always been a home body, and they would ride this out in their home before they ever tried to stay in a siege bunker.

Tula cried out again and again, but when someone finally coughed, her heart swelled with hope. Following the sound, she threw herself into the rubble and realized that it was her father. When her magic helped her move a huge slab out of the way, she gasped and the tears began to flow.

Her mother had jumped on top of her father, and her body protected him from the wall's collapse. Her father was barely conscious, but all she could do was scream.

Tula embraced both of them as she and her father cried together, unable to truly comprehend what was happening. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," she repeated like a mantra, holding both of them as tightly as she ever had. Her father couldn't find his voice, but was gripping both of them.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:28 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera hurled a powerful explosive bolt into a group of enemies, watching as the ground between them was blasted into rubble. She and a group of mages had wrapped the entire palace inside a golden whale construct, protecting it from attack while they stood outside of its defenses, holding that line.

They could see the destruction of the city below them, but she never had a moment to actually examine anything beyond the occasional explosion. The Conservatory was far in the distance, one of the only standing buildings, and she could tell that another group was standing their ground there from her perch.

"Do we have any idea who these people are?" asked one of the most seasoned commanders near there, holding up a metallic shield and a sword.

"They aren't wearing any defining armor," she explained. "They aren't even matching. If I had to guess, they are a group of people recruited from everywhere."

Another wave of enemies appeared in front of them, one of them tossing what looked to be a spiked ball. When it suddenly exploded, two rookies fell to the massive ice spikes that impaled their bodies, and it was only through sheer luck that Mera protected herself with a wall of hardened water.

The commander to her left suddenly gave the signal, and Mera watched as a contingent of a half dozen hippocampi suddenly arced over the palace, and swam fast into enemy lines and dropping weapons and magical projectiles. Mera took the opportunity, waving her hand and creating golden tentacles from the whale, hitting several soldiers hard. Her tattoos glowed incredibly brightly, and electricity arced across them and rendered them unable to continue.

But when another wave of both recovered and fresh soldiers appeared, she cursed and realized that it wouldn't end until the very last one was defeated.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:39 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Naruto watched as another person was hit with one of his wind blades, the crescent attack cutting through armor. By this point, every single advanced student was holding a position around the entire Conservatory, while Savenna held everyone else inside.

Garth swam in looping arcs, joined by two others, as he attacked the enemy lines from above cover with huge bursts of water. D'istar continued his construct onslaught, swinging large tentacles and smashing enemies without any remorse.

"It's starting to slow down!" shouted a student beneath him, just as a blast of sorcery collided with the man's chest.

They had cornered most of this force to behind several small formations, opponent mages providing cover for soldiers untrained in sorcery. Naruto's wind magic had no easy counter, and as he tried to think of strategies, D'istar continued to force him into following his lead. He felt constrained, but decided that it didn't matter. Summoning a vortex of wind, Naruto fired it and watched it expand, forcing some of them to scatter. The scattered soldiers were easy to separately pick off one by one.

The blonde was preparing to fire a volley of blades when he spotted someone on the horizon, and almost immediately, there were two forces surrounding the enemy, firing at them from behind. One of the most decorated generals led the charge, and swam with his orca tail into battle with what looked like a warhammer.

"Kaldur's coming!" Garth suddenly shouted from a few meters below Naruto's position, and Naruto did indeed spot their friend among the reinforcements, coming from the north.

Kaldur swam ahead to join them, using a shield to cross the distance, and nodded to both Garth and Naruto. "This is insane. The quake nearly leveled the city, and they're in the process of a city-wide sweep of anyone who might have survived." He suddenly frowned. "Where's Tula?"

Both Naruto and Garth shared a worried glance. "She went to find her parents," the brunette explained, ducking his head from a projectile. He created a small shield to defend them, tattoos blazing. "What do we do? She's out there by herself."

"She can take care of herself," Naruto stated, knowing it to be true. He had to believe it was true. "She's probably sitting inside one of the bunkers with her parents, protecting them." His words managed to make the other two reconsider trying to find them, but there was an uneasy silence.

The reinforcements and the Conservatory students had managed to coordinate their attack, hitting from the north and the south. The three boys stuck together as they rejoined the fight, but a sudden familiar scream alerted everyone. Naruto turned to see a man in strange armor, holding some kind of golden glowing trident. The end of the weapon was impaled in D'istar's chest, able to easily tear through the watery squid construct.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything at all, to even respond to the sudden appearance of the man or the murder of one of the most powerful sorcerers, the trident suddenly arced several lightning-like strikes, attacking everyone all at once. Naruto was one of the furthest away, and it was that distance that might have saved them. His tattoos burned as a sphere of defensive wind separated him, Kaldur, and Garth from the water, and the electrical attack couldn't pass the shining silver barrier.

The attack seemed to conclude, from both this mysterious arrival and any of the other enemy forces, as though they waited for this man's word to continue. The trident's attack had successfully rendered every single one of their allies unconscious or worse, and Naruto was suddenly aware that it was up to them.

"He's their leader," Kaldur surmised, and it all clicked for the blonde.

The three of them were terrified to make any movements against whoever this was, because whatever the trident was, they couldn't guarantee Naruto's magic would work a second time.

"Of course it's you," the man stated, laughing lightly as he shook their teacher's bleeding body from the trident. He was looking right into the blonde's eyes.

"Who are you?" Kaldur demanded. "And why do you presume to know who my friend is?"

"I wouldn't be shocked if I knew more about your friend than even he does." The stranger laughed again. "But alas, this is neither the time nor the place to hash such details."

Naruto didn't let the words have any effect; he was too furious to even think. "Tell us who the fuck you are so that when I bash your skull into that stupid helmet, I'll know where to send an apology card."

The man laughed again. "My name is Ocean-Master, sworn enemy to the crown and to the late Aquaman." Naruto froze, trying not to imagine what that would mean.

Garth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'the late Aquaman'? King Orin isn't dead!"

"I'll deliver his head on a pike to prove it, assuming that there was anything left," Ocean-Master stated, and Naruto couldn't take it anymore.

The only thing he could see was red, and this was the only chance they had to do something about it. He couldn't imagine that Ori- no, that his father was dead. And he was going to do something about it because this super-villain needed to be stopped, and there was no one else around to do it.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:44 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Tula knew she had to do something, because if there was some chance to save her mother and her father, she couldn't let them stay here. Scanning the area around them, she was almost certain that the residential sector had already been checked because she had not seen a sign of any of them for a long while. It seemed empty enough.

"I'm going to save you," she assured her father, summoning her magic as best she could and watching as the water gathered around both of them, holding them like they were wrapped in a purple blanket.

She barely knew where to go from here; her landmarks were all but annihilated. But she was sure she knew where the general direction of the nearest bunker was, and if she was lucky, there would be a doctor or something nearby. She refused to give up hope that her mother could be saved, and her father's legs seemed to be broken from the knee down.

Tula swam as hard as she could, knowing her energy was draining by the second. It took her nearly ten minutes to finally recognize the secret entrance. She saw the signs but no one was going to open the entryway.

"Please! I beg you! My mother and father could both..." She couldn't say the word, but they seemed to see the real fear and sadness on her face. When the magic disguising it shimmered out of the way, she ushered her parents inside the metallic door and followed through, closing it.

"Are any of you doctors?" she begged, voice cracking at every step.

Someone who looked to be a nurse nodded and immediately swam to try to care for them. Tula let him work, backing away against the wall and watching the faces of the broken people below. She barely noticed that she recognized all of them as the members of the Elders, and despite all their protection, the bunker hadn't prevented shaking during the quake. There were three bodies in the corner, only a few meters away from where she sat, and all were members of the council.

"Please, save them both," she said, a mixture of faith and hope coming through. "I know you can."

She didn't know if the nurse could do anything to help either of them, and judging from the way her mother was floating, she knew it was too late. Her mother was gone and Tula felt just as dead inside.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 15:53 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

"Please tell me that you have a strategy, Kaldur."

"I do not."

"Can you come up with one?"

"Not until I see how he fights."

"Fantastic."

Naruto shoved himself forward, blasting wind behind him to move faster. Ocean-Master stabbed forward in his direction, but the wind mage held up a defended arm, his element hardened in an aura around his forearm. The trident slid off, but Garth was suddenly there, a jet of water slamming into the man's armor. It shoved him back several meters, and Kaldur took the opportunity to attack from above, holding twin swords of water with his water-bearers.

Ocean-Master suddenly kicked upward, his boot slamming into Kaldur's sternum. The older teen only managed a small slash across the armored thigh. Garth attacked him again with twin spheres of water, but the trident spun around in his palm and defended himself against both attacks.

"It's pointless. You cannot possibly defeat me!" the man shouted, spinning the weapon in his hands again. More electricity coursed through its golden surface, and the three of them backed away and hid behind a wall of wind. "You can't get close while I wield Neptune's Trident. This weapon is divine for a reason!"

Kaldur's eyes widened. "That's the trident that Orin I wielded when he helped found Atlantis! It was said to be a gift from the gods, but was lost."

Naruto remembered few details of King Orin's namesake's story, but if this weapon truly was divine, they might not be able to do anything. "It doesn't matter. We'll keep trying." He pointed to the two of his friends. "Combination attack."

Garth held up both of his arms and charged a huge spinning bolt of water, and as he unleashed it, runes lit up in front of him. A cyclonic whirlpool was unleashed, twisting through the water toward the enemy. Kaldur held up both water-bearers, his eel tattoos lighting up as electricity coursed through it. An arc of guiding wind gathered around it and spun the vortex even faster, adding enough force that the electric whirlpool became sharp and focused. The funneling spiral had created a riptide.

Ocean-Master wasn't initially worried, but when he tried to dodge it, Naruto guided it in his direction with great effort. The man threw up the trident and tried to generate a force-field of water, but the attack slammed against him and hurled him to the ground, crashing through the small field of coral and leaving a huge crack in the earth.

"Did it work?" asked Kaldur, his body slumped over with exhaustion. Garth was in the same state, but Naruto was, predictably, completely unfazed. He'd never had a problem with running out of energy before, and that was no different there.

But in a couple of short moments, Ocean-Master forced himself to his feet, using the trident as a crutch. His armor was burned, and part of it had been broken apart, revealing wounded skin on his right chest and shoulder.

"I am impressed," the man stated, pointing to the trident. "Had I not had this, I doubt I would have survived. But it's time to end this farce."

Lightning from the trident arced through the water and struck both Kaldur and Garth, sending them flying from the brute force. "No!" Naruto shouted, but he too was ravaged by the attack.

An indescribable pain coursed through his body, his energy sapped by the attack. His skin was scorched by fire and he was certain that he'd never recover. The electrical attack continued as Ocean-Master moved closer, soon floating inches off of the seabed near him.

"I'm amazed you stayed conscious. I suspect that's because of your unique physiology; you have more energy than the average person," the enemy stated, gripping the trident in hand. "I should probably thank you, although maybe your birth parents deserve that gratitude. After all, they have helped us tremendously."

_Us? _Naruto thought, before he fully understood what he was saying. Ocean-Master was talking about his parents, his birth parents, like he knew them. Fury flowed through his body, and his magic responded to his emotions.

His skin began to bubble and steam as he enacted his starfish specialization, and the pain of the process was nearly as bad as the pain of that attack. But it lasted a mere second as relief set in, and Ocean-Master gasped as he forced himself to his feet, arms dangling nearly uselessly.

With great effort, Naruto forced them to move, and his hands immediately created a sphere of wind. It spun and spun, condensing into a small form, and his opponent did not even prepare himself for it. In a fraction of a second, Naruto was suddenly rearing back and he slammed the rotating orb into the exposed shoulder.

Ocean-Master screamed in agony, the trident glowing brightly as Naruto screamed in rage. In a moment of underestimation, Naruto's enemy was hurled from him, spinning in the direction of the orb of wind. He collided hard against the ground as the blonde was sent flying back by another electrical attack. When Naruto hit the side of the Conservatory, he immediately lost consciousness.

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 5, 16:16 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Orin had tried to hurry as fast as he could the second he heard, regretting the decision to not install the League's zeta tubes all across Atlantis. He couldn't even comprehend how badly the situation was, from King Sha'ark telling him the report of Vulko's death to an earthquake alert via the Hall and the Cave's scanners. Poseidonis was in trouble and he'd played right into the enemy's hand, going after Kamo when he shouldn't have left the throne.

Cursing under his breath, Orin frowned. The dolphin moved faster and faster, and when he finally found the city, the dome was gone. Everything about this was wrong, and he was terrified. The earthquake had nearly leveled the city, and there were no doubt so many dead. Orin spurned the creature faster, promising him a treat when everything calmed down, and he finally arrived.

The city's guard were fighting enemies that didn't seem to match any particular other city-state, and he couldn't even really comprehend how chaotic everything was. The Science Center was completely eradicated, much of the residential and market sectors destroyed, and a huge trench had seemingly split the city down the middle. Only two huge strongholds were left, the Conservatory and the palace, but the fighting in the former seemed to be over. The palace was glowing brightly, and if he had better eyesight, he could have seen Mera looking ragged but defending against the onslaught.

He didn't know what made him stop, but when he turned back, he realized that he knew someone down there.

"Ocean-Master!" he shouted, fury rising as he sunk to the seabed, running toward the man's prone form. A mage was healing him, someone from the enemy force, but when Orin marched over, the small woman seemingly fled in terror.

The villain looked up weakly as the king approached, but the man managed to force himself up, his right arm useless with an impossibly large flesh wound. It looked as though someone had carved part of his chest away, and if he looked close enough, he'd see the beginning of ribs.

"What is the meaning of this!?" he shouted as he made to grab for the villain. But before he could get closer, someone from the sidelines blasted at him with his gun. The bolt of heated water hit him hard, but did not manage to faze him.

"Stop," Ocean-Master said, sitting up from his perch. "Look around, Aquaman. I won this day, and we did not have to quarrel. Many of your men are dead, your city is in shambles, and your kingdom torn apart from the inside. I only wish I had managed to kill your son and your wife before you arrived." The man pointed with his uninjured hand, gripping the trident.

Orin's eyes widened to see the unconscious and wounded Naruto lying against the Conservatory. "You bastard!"

Before he could do anything, the man just smiled. A burst of red light erupted around him, and Orin threw up his arm to block his vision. When it faded, the man was gone, a black mark left in his place.

An awkward moment passed where the only three conscious enemies remained, still raising their weapons in defense of their leader, but Orin gave them a long look. "Don't bother. You know what the outcome will be."

They surrendered peacefully, dropping their weapons upon seeing the face of the king. Almost immediately after that happened, a few of the lesser students began leaving the safety of the Conservatory, guided by Savenna. Everyone cheered his name, but Orin knew better, forcing them to stop when he raised a hand.

Swimming over quickly, he took Naruto into his arms, checking for a pulse. Relief flooded him when he realized the boy was alive, and he held him against his chest for a few moments. He tried to ignore the tear that flowed down his cheek, but after a moment, he wiped it away.

Savenna joined him, kneeling next to the king. Orin turned to her. "Take Naruto and the rest of them inside, and seal the doors. This battle is over."

* * *

**POSEIDOINS  
APRIL 10, 10:29 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

Mera stood by the bedside in the palace, looking over the boy's unconscious form. He'd wake up any day now, from what the doctors all said. Every day, one of his friends had delivered a bowl of boiled wakame for him when he woke up, and the latest was sitting at the end of the bed. Tula was finally beginning the first stages of a return to normalcy after the death of her mother, who had bravely sacrificed herself to save her husband.

Mera and Savenna took turns watching over him, but the Queen's duties conflicted far too often as the days had passed. Reconstruction had already begun, aid given from Lemuria and Crastinus and Tritonis. King Sha'ark himself had arrived in the city only two days ago, to stay until they weren't needed anymore.

Atlantis was in crisis, and her focus was split between the kingdom and Naruto. Guilt washed over her when she realized how little time she'd spent with him on a one-to-one basis during the last few months. That would have to change, and if anyone had a problem with it, she'd slap them. That much she was sure of.

The door opened to reveal her husband, and the look on his face was not good. "What's wrong?"

"The Elders have requested me. From what Orm says, I think you'll want to hear it yourself."

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't say." Orin walked over and clasped the boy's hand, before turning back. "Are you going to come?"

She nodded after a moment of hesitation, placing a kiss on Naruto's forehead. She could spend a few moments away from him, but as she left, she sent one of her handmaidens to find Savenna to sit with him.

As they crossed through the hallways, she could tell that Orin was distracted, but when she voiced the question, he dodged the question. When the two of them arrived, the prince was already waiting outside the door. "Hello, Queen Mera."

She smiled lightly, but she was still a little bit angry that Prince Orm had left her alone during the attack, staying inside the Elders' bunker during the whole affair. She could have really used his help, because she felt personally responsible for everything that had occurred.

The sight of the three empty seats in the Elders' chambers brought a frown to her face, but she didn't have much time to really question it.

As the meeting began, it appeared to be about addressing budgetary concerns and financing the memorials of the one hundred sixteen lives lost, and the hundreds more that were wounded. The city would likely never recover fully, even after much time passed.

The meeting then shifted focus to the prisoners of war that had been gathered, some from nearly every kingdom. The only true link between them was that they had been recruited by Ocean-Master, and many held Purist beliefs. Orin was very agreeable in the meeting, not wanting to conflict with them.

"I'm glad that we have addressed these concerns again, but Elders, what was the purpose of your summoning of me? Was there more news of something else?"

The head of the Elders frowned. "I believe there is no better time than to discuss it while the creature is unconscious."

Mera raised an eyebrow, completely and utterly confused.

"We have made a decision that you are not going to like, but one that you shall not oppose," another said. "If you choose to disagree and refuse to follow it, you will have another power struggle on your hands, and there are already rumors of a conspiracy brewing." The head of the council made a pointed glance at Prince Orm, who nodded lightly.

"It was my suggestion, brother. The topic came up while we were in the bunker, and while you were away," the prince explained, and Mera was not following this train of thought at all. "I believe this option is less draconian than the decision that the Elders had come to before I was involved, and it took a lot of convincing for them to agree with me."

Orin waved his hand. "Spit it out. What is this decision?"

Orm nodded lightly, obviously distressed. "Naruto will be banished to the surface world, exiled from ever stepping into Atlantis again."

"No!" Mera shouted. "We are rebuilding after perhaps the worst crisis in recent history, and you wish to banish an innocent boy?!"

"I will not stand for this!" Orin exclaimed.

The robed prince tried to step in between them, gesturing with his left arm while his right was locked at his side. "You don't have a choice. Please listen to reason. Their fears against the boy are entirely rational!"

"Rational!?" Orin argued. "This is blatant fear-mongering, built on the foundation of a lie."

"In this time of crisis," the head of the Elders said, "we cannot afford another. The demonic experiments that Vulko underwent revived the creature that was supposedly destroyed. He brings a curse upon this city, a curse that would take advantage of our weakened state to wreak havoc!"

Mera was outraged. How could they expect them to throw him away like this? After everything that had happened!?

"It pains me to say that we must be rid of him, for the good of our city and Atlantis as a whole," Orm stated.

"If you continue to refuse, we will follow our initial decision, before Prince Orm convinced us otherwise, to eliminate the boy. Please, my king," one of the Elders added, "do not make any rash decisions."

"Threaten us and civil war will begin. The fate of the kingdom lies on that cursed demon's departure."

* * *

**WASHINGTON D.C.  
APRIL 12, 12:09 EST  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO **

The boy shot awake, sitting up in bed and immediately feeling sensory overload. Air flowed in and out of his nose, and he could smell boiled wakame. He wasn't surrounded by water, but as he looked around the room, it looked like his room. Had it been drained for some reason?

Further scanning of the room revealed that it wasn't the same room. The wall color was off, and it was much larger. All of his books and scrolls were situated around the room, and his clothes could be seen in the small closet. Fluorescent light made the room too bright, and sunlight poured into the room from the window.

Bandages covered his arms, and a small IV was attached to his arm. He took a deep breath with his nose, having to remind himself to breathe air and not rely on his dry gills. He had no idea what he was doing, what day it was, or why he was here, on the surface world.

He turned to the wakame, downing the bowl of seaweed noodles and trying to think about what he could remember. His last memory was some kind of yellow light and a computerized voice... a zeta tube? And before that, he could remember the helmeted man who had attacked the city, getting hit by one of his spells.

He tried to stand and realized he was completely inept at walking while out of the water. He finally got the hang of it after nearly stumbling twice, and decided to grab the IV stand that was pouring liquid down his arm, dragging himself to the door.

When he opened the door, someone suddenly shot up and he smiled when he saw the orange-clad blonde King, and next to him, his friend Kaldur. Queen Mera was missing, as were the rest of his friends. "You're awake!" the man stated, rushing over to embrace him.

Naruto hugged back in the awkward hospital gown, before asking the obvious question. "What's going on?"

"You're in the Hall of Justice," he explained, gesturing around him, before pointing to his friend Kaldur, who clasped his hands carefully. "This is my new protégé, Aqualad, although you obviously know him very well from your studies together. After the fight against Ocean-Master, I offered both Garth and Kaldur the opportunity to fight alongside me as Aquaman."

"And I accepted," the boy answered, but there was some kind of sadness on his voice.

Naruto nodded, but he wasn't sure why that was all relevant. "Cool. But why am I here?"

The king turned to his friend, who nodded and sat down. "Let's talk. We have a lot to discuss."

Naruto followed him back into the room, waving at Kaldur as he closed the door behind him. When the man produced a scroll from behind him, he held it up. "We should have given you this a long time ago, and I'm sorry that we didn't. We thought maybe you'd be better off not knowing, but it explains that part of the story better than I can."

He took the scroll from him, but decided against reading it until later. "All right. But can you give me the short version of the important stuff?"

When Orin laughed suddenly, it was so awkward that Naruto couldn't follow him at all. "Due to the contents of that scroll, and the story that is transcribed there, you were... banished. Exiled from Atlantis."

"What?!" he asked suddenly, not understanding any of this. "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't, in good conscience, refuse them, after what had happened. Please, read this and understand. Mera and I wrote all of this and spent a long time trying to make our words come out right," he explained. "I don't expect you to not be angry at me, or to forgive me. Don't blame Mera or anyone else: I was the one who eventually relented. If you wish to hate someone, please hate me."

Naruto just stared at him in absolute confusion. "I could never hate you."

* * *

**POSEIDONIS  
APRIL 12, 22:17 UTC-2  
TEAM YEAR NEGATIVE TWO**

"He was angry at first," Orin explained to Mera as they lay together in bed, the king too exhausted to even undress. "All of it was very distressing to him. Learning of his birth parents and his possible cursed status and the demon that had been destroyed; he said he wouldn't have believed any of it if I hadn't handed him the scroll myself."

"I'm going to go see him first thing tomorrow morning," she explained, and Orin could tell she was very upset about missing him waking up. "Can you cover for me?"

"Of course," the man explained, before continuing his story. "He doesn't really understand the decision, and I have to say, I'm not sure I do either. But he stuck true to what he said before he even opened it. He'd never hate us, he kept trying to say. I think it might hit him harder later, but after all that, he was just glad that it wasn't like he'd never get to see either of us again. He doesn't seem to have it in him to hate anyone."

Mera nodded after a moment. "That's really the only way that I could even handle this. I know both of us can see him at any moment, and I doubt the Elders would have a problem with that, actually. And for what it's worth, I don't give a damn if they do."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a long time, but just when Orin was sure he was finally drifting off, he shook himself awake again to the sound of Mera's tears.

"We're terrible, aren't we?"

Orin shook his head, holding her against his chest. He didn't bother stopping his feelings, feeling a few tears making their way down his face. "We did what was right for the good of our kingdom. They left us with no choice. This is the kind of sacrificial decision that kings are meant to make."

Mera glanced up at him. "But not what parents are meant to make."

* * *

_**All right, that's it. Next chapter will finally begin the canon YJ story-line. I'm really looking forward to twisting it on its head. **_

_**Let me know what you thought of the chapter, as well as the first arc of the story. I have received some criticism that this was a sort of "super prologue" and I suppose that if you boiled it down, that's probably the case. But one of the things that I have noticed with a lot of other Naruto and YJ crossovers (as well as some other types of crossovers) is that they jump right in and we have to play catch-up with learning how Naruto became the person that he is. The other YJ characters have the benefit of years of comic book history, and although it is a different universe from the main DC line, we know where most of the characters come from and the general history of the character. When you add characters that don't have that benefit of prior knowledge, you can't really see what Naruto's place really is in the story as a whole. So that's why I made the Atlantis Arc as long as it was, because it really establishes him and why you should care for him. **_

_**Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think. :D Until next time. **_


	9. Independence Day

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice or any related characters or properties. **_

* * *

_**.:09:.  
Independence Day**_

**SAN DIEGO  
JULY 3, 11:11 PST  
TEAM YEAR ZERO**

The monster slammed into his chest, but only through the most honed of his reflexes was he able to grab the creature's mouth, preventing its bite from cutting into his durable silver and black suit.

The blonde haired hero tried to move through his own exhaustion, knowing that he'd been fighting this thing for several minutes without doing much major damage. He'd have to brush up on his sea monsters, but he was almost certain he knew what it was.

The creature was undoubtedly serpentine, with black scales that shimmered as the sunlight hit it above the water. It had three tails, flicking back and forth, and he was almost certain that it was nearly four times as big as he was. Its claws were as long as his arm, its tongue snaking in and out of poisonous maw. The black snake had a strong enough constitution that he wasn't able to end it with his wind, which was admittedly distracting. Judging by the fact that he couldn't communicate with it like he could other sea creatures, he knew it must not be in the normal realm. This thing was magical, some spawn of a minor evil water god that wanted nothing more than to eat mortals.

"Here, here, little leviathan," he muttered under his breath, trying to catch its attention again when it tried to slip past him, aiming toward the brave souls who had not fled yet, trying to catch everything on camera. In some ways, he was glad for the attention, but in others, he knew it would be safer for them to just leave. Most people had gotten the message when the snake pulled someone under. Had Naruto not been tracking this thing along the coastline for the past few days, he might not have been close enough to pull the man away from the creature.

The leviathan turned toward him and spat, a jet of burning acid spitting from the center of its mouth. Naruto frowned and expelled wind, the tattoos glowing under his partially mesh sleeves. The acid was redirected toward his right, cutting a hole through solid rock and sand, burning his nose from the fumes.

Taking on the offensive, he ducked down to make himself a smaller target, running with his arms extended behind his back, and immediately leaped out of the way when one of the spiked tails tried to stop him. Rolling to the side, Naruto planted a knee and threw up his left palm at the creature. A pure column of wind collided with the creature's underbelly, throwing it back into the ocean several meters.

It recovered, trying for another acidic attack. _That isn't going to work, _the Atlantean muttered, clapping his hands in front of his body. A silver field of wind shot out from the center of the sound, and the acid splashed against it like water would a wall.

The snake-like creature screamed, a mighty high-pitched sound that Naruto tried to avoid but couldn't. He winced away from it, field of vision impaired long enough. A spiked tail raked across his abdomen, igniting pain as the poisoned cut took effect, and the leviathan grabbed him, holding him up by a single tail.

Naruto tried to force his mind to refocus on getting out of this, but it wasn't working fast enough. The other twin tails suddenly struck him, stabbing into both of his shoulders and furthering his mind with poison. It screamed again, no doubt rupturing his eardrums, and Naruto just screamed.

Unfurling his unfocused magic at the enemy, random blasts of wind managed to slam into the snake hard enough from the side that Naruto himself was jerked away from where he'd be held. The blonde hero slammed hard into the sand, sliding a few meters across the beach.

Partially-frozen water had frosted over the beginning of the enemy's tail, an unintended effect of his addled control over sorcery, and it took everything in his power force himself to his feet.

The leviathan rushed toward him, and every movement of Naruto's arms hurt, but he managed to hold up a defense, probably tearing his wounds further. Sand kicked up from the silvery wind attack, some of it blowing in the monster's eyes, and it clamored against the dome-like defensive wall, flinging back towards the ocean.

"Let me guess," he muttered while the leviathan seemingly began to rise again, and as he poured his slowly regaining focus into his starfish sorcery, "did Copperhead piss you off somehow? If I were a snake, I'd be pissed about how lame he is too."

The creature didn't move towards him this time, its hands clawing at the sand still bothering its yellow serpentine eyes, and Naruto just gaped. _That actually worked better than I thought it would. _

His wounds were smoking as the magic flowed into them, forcing him to feel pain to remove pain, and everything about it hurt like the worst kind of pain he could imagine. Nothing ever hurt as much as his own healing did, and he was always so reluctant to even try it. Normally, he ignored things until after the battle, but the leviathan was probably going to kill him if he waited any longer.

Civilians were still watching, most still recording. If he didn't wrap this up soon, the headlines would no doubt read, _"Riptide Ripped In Half By Reptile."_ He couldn't handle that alliterative blow to his pride.

"All right, if you want a story, I'll give you one," he said automatically, stretching out his arms as he canceled out the sorcery. His shoulders still stung, but the bleeding had stopped, a scab already having formed under the mesh. It would have to be enough.

Naruto propelled himself toward recovering sea serpent. As his feet hit the water he longed to join, he had an idea and swam underneath, diving into the ocean like a torpedo. He spun and let the water bend around him, literally swimming like an offensive dart that threatened to tear the creature apart.

Despite the fact that this leviathan was no doubt a sea-creature, he knew it could swim better than he ever could without a little help. He'd seen the attacks reported for a few days, but everyone else seemed to think it had been a shark attack. He'd known better, and he was slightly glad that he'd caught it before anyone else. Were there more incidents like this all around the world that no else saw the signs for?

A blade of wind formed around his outstretched fingers, and when the speedy maneuver slammed into the serpent, it screeched in agony. The wind had split a huge wound, golden blood leaking from it and leaving Naruto wide-eyed. _Ichor? God's blood?_ It tried to attack him back, its claws slamming down on him, but the Atlantean was able to form a haphazard shield, propelling him downward as the attack raked across it. His skin scraped against the soft sand roughly, but the monster was already fleeing.

Naruto shook himself out of it, ignoring the trail of ichor flowing after it that was already dissipating. Was that actually a leviathan, or did the blood mean it was something more? Even so, in the deep undersea stretching out before him, he'd lost sight of it. The blood from the wound disappeared so rapidly that he couldn't find it, couldn't track it any farther. He'd had the upper-hand before, because it hadn't known he was going after it, but now that it did, it wouldn't let him get by. They were tricky creatures, of the magical variety.

Taking a deep breath and enjoying the feel of the water around him, he sighed lightly. He missed this. Saltwater baths weren't the same, and he'd not gotten the chance to be near the ocean very much during his travels. It would never be the same again, he supposed.

Begrudgingly, he healed himself carefully, wincing once more. Forcing himself up onto shore, he broke the surface. The sunlight streamed down his face, salty air filling his lungs, and he smiled, wiping away the sand on his partially-ruined skin-tight wetsuit.

Just as he was about to convince the press lines that were gathering already, some already shooting his revival, someone tapped his should and he immediately turned, nearly blasting the middle-aged man who had apparently snuck up on him.

"Riptide," the man said carefully, earning a nod from Naruto. "Good. I believe I have a task for you to complete."

The blonde just stared at the brunette with the hook nose and too-crisp suit. "Uh... depends on the task, I guess."

The man reached into the perfectly-tailored jacket, and Naruto eyed him carefully. He pulled out a completely blank business card, forcing Naruto to stare at him. "I think you've given me the wrong one."

"No. Turn it over."

It was an address for somewhere on the other side of the country, and he somewhat rolled his eyes. "Seriously? I'm not intereste-"

"It has to do with your particularly unusual background," the stranger said, cutting him off as Naruto's eyes widened. "I know all about it; in fact, I'm one of the reasons why you're standing before me today."

Who was this man, and what in the world was he doing here? After a quick moment, realization strung across him, but it didn't make any sense. "Please tell me that you're not my father."

It took a long moment before the man finally laughed. "If you must know who I am, I own and run the world's greatest travel agency. Let's just say that I handled your package."

Naruto inexplicably gaped, mouth hanging open. "I don't swing that way, you pervert! I'm not interested in this job if it has anything to do with tha-"

"You don't have a choice," he said after another moment. "In two days time, you_ will_ go to that address. Let's say that I know someone who happens to be particularly good at foretelling events."

Naruto wanted to call out his probable bullshit, but he had seen stranger things. "So you run a travel agency with a psychic, and you try to handle thirteen-year-old packages."

The man laughed heartily. "Come now, child. Please, don't be ridiculous; I don't swing that way either. Remember the situation you find yourself in. You are, quite frankly, very interesting to me. An interdimensional traveler who isn't aligned with chaos or order. This makes you an entity unlike nearly any other."

The Atlantean couldn't really figure out what this man was actually saying, but he didn't have many more people to ask about it to verify. The contents of the scroll, and the knowledge that his birth parents were from a different dimension all together, was something that he didn't care to understand.

Eventually, he pushed that aside. "Why do you think I'll come to that address? Hearing that makes me want to avoid it more."

The hook-nosed stranger laughed again. "It always surprises me when people of your stature don't realize they live in a deterministic universe, but I have to admire your passion to reject that." Another moment passed before he finally just shook his head. "No, you'll be there, I assure you. You might not realize the sequence of events that will lead you to agree to go, but your fate is sealed."

* * *

**SAN DIEGO  
JULY 3, 19:25 PDT  
TEAM YEAR ZERO**

The small hotel room was not the worst place he'd ever stayed at, but it certainly wasn't the best either. He couldn't afford much, and didn't feel right spending the money even for something as meager as this. He'd taken to calling it the "I'm-sorry-I-can't-afford-to-usurp-my-political-system-and-jeopardize-the-future-of-my-nation-for-you" debit card.

He didn't blame Mera or Orin for it. The world was bigger than he was, and more lives were at stake than his happiness. But even with that understanding, it still hurt. Seeing this odd stranger come up to him out of the blue, seemingly out of nowhere, made him remember the day his life shifted into what it was now.

He glanced toward the wall, looking at where his black and silver uniform was hanging in the barren closet door. Thanks to a large gash on the stomach and several smaller cuts on the arms and legs, he knew he would need to repair it. Inspecting it closer, his eyes narrowed to see the blue sigil he'd worn, something shared by both Aquaman and Aqualad, was ruined by a tear right near his sternum.

Staring at that letter made him wonder why he was even wearing it in the first place. Despite the fact that he was an Atlantean, he didn't feel associated with the "Aqua" duo. He'd not worked with the two of them very much, since he donned the persona of Riptide to begin trying to do good. Naruto got the feeling that Orin didn't actually want Naruto to join him, which was something he couldn't understand. That being said, Naruto enjoyed the small time work he'd gotten to do solo over the past six months.

Having a mentor would probably help, but the only person he'd ever considered a mentor was the headmistress of the Conservatory, and he hadn't seen the redhead much. When they did meet up, everything was great, but it always seemed to end on a slightly sour note when she left to return to her duties. Naruto never really wanted her to leave.

Scoffing, he lifted himself from the bed and planted himself in his desk, reaching over from his bag to read through the scroll he hadn't touched in a long time. Supposedly, this hook-nosed man ran an interdimensional travel agency, which was probably complete nonsense. Even so, he read through the introductory message for the umpteenth time. His fingers had traced the letters etched in what could only be long-dried blood so often that he could memorize their letters.

More information was stored in that scroll, including small bits and pieces of his mother and father's life stories. Apparently, his father, Minato Namikaze, was the Hokage, a leader of the village that was once his hometown. As a child, he'd met his mother after her own village was destroyed, and she was chosen to be the sacrifice, the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.

He scowled at the word, knowing it was one of the major reasons he was banished from Atlantis. The demon that had been held within his mother had been transferred into him, but thanks to their quick thinking, his parents had sacrificed their relationship with him in order to destroy it.

The parallels between their story and his own were certainly not lost on him. His surrogate parents had repeated the action, like a cyclical effect of parental sacrifice for their son. Frowning, he stood up and closed it back carefully, throwing it back into the red bag.

He didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about a repeating fate, like the sisters themselves were weaving threads together, only to cut again and again in the same places. Was he really scheduled by some strange cosmic order to be at that address on the fifth?

He wished he could ignore the vibrating flip phone, suddenly bringing him to a call. It was from Kaldur, which was unusual enough that he had to answer it. "Hello?"

_"Hello, Naruto. Is this a good time to talk? I hope it is not too late."_

He nodded along to the boy before rolling his eyes at his stupidity. "I'm awake, so yeah. How are you?"

_"I am fine. And you?"_

"I could be better; I'm resting after a fight with a giant sea serpent this morning. A leviathan, if you ask."

He could almost hear Kaldur's look of concern. _"How did it go?"_

"It got away, but not before I wounded it," he said again. "I've been tracking it down the coast the last few days, the hard way without magic. This is exhausting."

_"Did you manage to get some of its blood? You might be able to track it that way. Do you need some help?"_

"No," Naruto said, pacing to look out the window of the hotel, peeking behind the curtain. He was reminded of the ichor, which was definitely unusual for a leviathan, but pushed it aside. "I can handle it, but the advice is greatly appreciated; maybe I can find a way to track it. Did you need something?"

The older teen cleared his throat. _"Tomorrow is the day."_

"The day?"

_"The day the sidekicks finish our training. They are finally letting us into the Hall. We are graduating into grander pastures! Isn't that great?"_

The blonde considered it; he was happy for them, but he wasn't sure why Kaldur was calling him about it. He remembered his own experience of the Hall of Justice, having lived behind its prohibited areas for nearly three months. "Yeah, that's great, buddy."

_"Well, we were all wonder- no, _I_ was wondering if you would like to come as well. As far as I am concerned, if you wear the symbol of our king, then you deserve a chance. Training never really ends as it is, so perhaps they will allow you access as well."_

He really did consider it, but he didn't feel like he belonged there. He was relying on his spells and versatility, but there was so many things he did not have a good grasp on. He wasn't good at evasion like Kid Flash, or as tactical as Kaldur, or as stealthy as Robin. All of them had months and years of experience fighting crime on him, and Red Arrow was so much older than he was. He'd never even met Kid Flash; their paths had simply never crossed like the others had. All the sidekicks felt, to him, like they were this tight-knit group of kids who had seen so much more than he had. Riptide was just a small-time hero, who occasionally stopped robberies or muggings with a police radio. This leviathan had definitely been an exception to the rule.

"No, thank you, Kaldur. You guys enjoy it," Naruto finally said. "I'm gonna try to work on this again. But while I've got you on the phone, do you know why a leviathan would have ichor instead of normal blood?"

His friend gasped. _"Are you absolutely certain?"_

The tone of surprise or perhaps shock was slightly terrifying to him; Kaldur knew much more about the mythologies than he did, studying them outside of the Conservatory with his mother. Sha'lain'a was a bit of an expert on the subject from Shayeris's famed university. The Conservatory at Poseidonis was less focused on faith and more on practicality of sorcery. "Yes, I'm certain of it. It shined gold and the water dissipated it almost immediately. Do you know what this means?"

_"I do not know for certain, but leviathans are generally well-removed from their divine origins. Their bloodlines mix with mortal creatures and become more animal than magical. A leviathan with ichor means that they are stronger, more ancient and less mortal,"_ explained Kaldur; it took everything Naruto had not to gloss over the information like he would from reading a textbook. _"This does not bode well at all. Are you sure that you do not need me to help you? I can be there tomorrow morning, and we can go after this thing together."_

He disagreed. "No, I promise I'll handle it. I'll contact you if I find something."

There was a long pause where neither of them said anything at all, but Kaldur seemed convinced that he needed the help. Eventually, Naurto insisted and the other boy relented. "I can take care of it, I'm sure of it."

_"I'll tell King Orin, and perhaps he can give you-"_

"No!" Naruto interrupted, and he could almost feel Kaldur's admonishing look through the phone. "No, don't tell him. He'll come save me and I don't want him to think I cannot operate on my own."

_"That's what the League is for, though, Naruto,"_ the other Atlantean explained. _"Some things are too big to tackle on your own. If you're fighting something potentially this strong, you shouldn't be ashamed to ask for assistance."_

He took a deep breath, sighing audibly. "I apologize, Kaldur, but I have to prove that I can this. I don't think I've faced anything this strong, if you think this leviathan is like an immortal. If I can't beat something like this alone, how am I supposed to stop the really bad guys?"

_"But this isn't a game! This isn't some test. Your life is on the line, and there's no one who wants you to die."_

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm sure the Elders wouldn't mind seeing my head on a pike."

_"That has nothing to do with this, Naruto."_

He shook his head. "That has everything to do with this, Kaldur! Everything!" He considered hanging up, knowing he was going to get more judgment from Kaldur, but he sighed as he realized his temper had caught up with him. Mera would be ashamed of him.

He truly didn't like getting mad about this; he had a usually accepted mood about the entire fair, and his best friend didn't deserve to have to hear about this. "Sorry for getting angry. I shouldn't direct that at you or anyone else; no one is really at fault." He took a deep breath. "If I get in over my head, I'll call you. Maybe they'll let you Zeta somewhere near me if I need help."

_"Okay. But promise me that you'll get out of there if things get hairy."_

"I promise."

* * *

**COAST CITY  
JULY 4, 13:09 PDT  
TEAM YEAR ZERO**

He stepped off the bus, dressed in enough civvies to hide his more Atlantean features. As long as he kept his mouth closed and the scaly fins on his hands covered, he'd be fine and wouldn't get any funny looks. Although sewing his suit closed on the train had given him some hilarious attention, for anyone who might know who Riptide was. He didn't have the fame associated with being a protégé of a League member, but he still sometimes attracted unwanted glances from less progressive members of society. Once they figured out that he was a hero, albeit an unknown one, usually people softened up to him; the media frenzy associated with superheroism was an odd thing to grasp. Atlantis didn't have paparazzi or press lines.

Naruto opened his palm, revealing a tiny conch shell that shimmered with Atlantean symbols that glinted gold in the sunlight. He'd collected a tiny fragment of ichor that had not dissipated, and that was all he needed to track it farther; it had collected within the fibers of his uniform, found thanks to Kaldur's advice. He dripped the last of it inside the shell, watching it glow brightly before he held it up to his ear. He winced partly from the anticipation, but almost immediately, the leviathan's screech nearly deafened him.

That was a good sign, depending on your perspective. Good because finding the leviathan gave him plenty of things to do, and it was part of the reason why he'd even wanted to try to find it in the first place. Chances are, if he went after the sea monster, he would miss that supposed date with destiny. So he forced himself into doing something productive, and killing the leviathan he'd injured could accomplish that.

Listening to the conch, he instinctively knew where to go. Following it through the city was easy, but he'd had to ignore the looks from any others gave him. If anyone asked, he'd tell them it was a family tradition for the fourth of July. Americans were odd creatures and easily pliable when they said anything patriotic. He supposed he had been the same way about Atlantis a couple of years ago.

He passed a shop with several flat screen televisions displaying a news channel, broadcasting a speech that Superman had given exactly one year ago. The commentary on the bottom revealed that he was supposed to have delivered a speech that day as well, but they suspected that the man was busy with League business and could not appear. It was in front of the Hall of Justice, a masterpiece of old-style architecture and new technology. He pushed his attention away from the quintessential American hero, reminding him that strings of fate were guiding him toward D.C. He wasn't going to fall for it, no matter what signs the old hags with a scissor fetish sent to him. After Kaldur made an offer to go to the Hall, and after seeing this speech, he had no doubt that they were trying to lure him in.

He finally found the coast, a cliff that extended downward on either side into a crescent-shaped beach, mostly obscured by the natural barriers. The sound of the conch was loud there, so he assumed that it was close. Somewhere below those near crystal-clear waters, he'd find it and kill it, once and for all. He ignored the part of his mind that wondered if it was even possible to kill something that wasn't entirely mortal.

He covered himself in the bushes and carefully changed into his uniform, proud that he had managed to fix most of the rips in the fabric. When he was certain he was prepared, he fixed the conch in his hands and jumped toward the water, lurching off into a perfect dive. The water calmed him the second he splashed inside, and after a long moment of relaxation, he pressed the shell to his ear.

The sound screamed to life in his skull, and with a long moment's pause to adjust from the pain, he followed it. A school of fish scattered away from him as he followed the seabed, drifting his hands along the bottom of the sand. Kicking hard, the blonde was drawn to the leviathan, honed in on the ancient sea creature.

Passing through a cavern underwater, he swam quickly through the passageway that was lit by a yellow light, glowing stones sticking from the rocky walls. He continued, hoping that he wouldn't run into any traps. After the mob boss in Seattle, he didn't want to take any chances.

He popped his head above the water very carefully, looking at the undersea cavern carved and lined by the same yellow stones. He was clearly not in some creature's den, however. Florescent lamps lined some of the walls of the cavern, and it was clear that someone was operating here. Crimson robed men with black masks covering their faces stalked back and forth, but the set-up seemed impermanent, like this was just a temporary base. Even then, he had no idea what was going on or why these men were here. He definitely didn't recognize them.

He didn't react fast enough, however, when something was dropped into the water to his left and immediately, electricity arced through the small pool. It was so powerful that he almost immediately lost consciousness, barely staying awake long enough to see an un-hooded man step forward, with very pale skin and no hair. His arms were crossed in front of his robed torso, a smirk on his face. His dark eyes twinkled with some emotion he couldn't understand.

* * *

**COAST CITY  
****JULY 4, 23:35 PDT  
****TEAM YEAR ZERO**

Something immediately splashed on his face and he shot awake, eyes widening and screaming as the sudden burst of light hit his face hard. His gills fluctuated lightly, trying to claw for water but he had to remind himself to breathe through his lungs, trying to understand.

"Interesting. I have to say, I've never had an Atlantean so close before, directly under my vigilant eye."

He met the glance of the bald man's eyes, and attempted to spit at him but nothing came out. He was too dry, so dry that splashing him with water shocked his system awake. "Fuck you."

The man feigned shock at hearing it, but eventually, that shock fell away. "Faking the sound of the leviathan for your brand of tracking was incredibly easy, after I studied them for years. After all, I've got a bit of a fascination with serpents." To demonstrate, he waved his hands and one of his henchmen held up a device and clicked the button, immediately filling the room with the screech of the beast.

Something clicked in his eyes, but this was seriously bad. "Kobra."

"That is Lord Kobra to you, mortal."

Naruto had hoped he was lying, but Kobra was, quite possibly, one of the most skilled fighters in the world. He was terrified by the idea of fighting someone like him, and it was immediately apparent that he was far in over his head. His hands and feet weren't bound, but he couldn't move because of the electricity that had ran through his body. He was surprised he was conscious, but his brain was running through scenarios for how he was going to get out of this mess.

His magic wasn't sealed off; that would require sorcery of its own, and there was no way this bastard had access to that. But he had to use it carefully; he did not want to provoke a reaction that would lead to his premature death. Naruto knew he needed to heal, but he wouldn't be able to use that without attracting attention. Activating his specialization would fully light his tattoos, no matter how little power he poured into it.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to stall until he could think of a better plan. "Why did you trap me here, in this place?"

Kobra glanced down, thinking hard about it. "That is an interesting but inane question. Why did I return to a much older hideout, interrupt my initial plans, to attract you here?" The man twisted around to look at him. "What would I want with you?"

"I don't know. That's why I asked."

The cult leader laughed, gesturing slightly. One of his minions approached and brought a small dagger and a vial of concentrated venom in a syringe, sitting atop some kind of odd scroll. Naruto immediately knew he didn't want to have anything to do with that, but he had to wait for the right moment. "Such an impudent child. I do not require anything of _you._ Not specifically you, at any rate."

"Could you please not talk in riddles? I've already had to deal with too much of that in the last few days," Naruto said. "If you're going to do the classic villain monologue explaining your plan, can you please get along with it? My feet are getting cold."

Kobra just laughed. "You have a talent for humor in dire situations beyond your comprehension. I have to admit, I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm afraid that your humor will die with your screams."

Time seemed to slow down as instinct took over, and Naruto expelled his magic at the same instant that Kobra launched himself forward, holding the dagger in his hands. His tattoos blazed to life as a sliver of wind tried to push the man back, but he was barely aware of how the man leaped over the attack. His wind collided with two of the cultists, throwing them hard into a stalactite, but Kobra had avoided it.

The fancy dagger slid across Naruto's arm, drinking in the blood; it seemed to glow for just a moment, before Kobra slammed his head into the cavern floor, so hard that any attempt at retribution was cut off until he could recover.

The blonde glanced up just as Kobra stabbed the syringe into his system, flooding his system with some kind of liquid that he suspected was poisonous venom. And then, inexplicably, Kobra stabbed the same place with the dagger, his face not even slightly changing with the pain.

"You're crazy," Naruto said, already attempting to pull some kind of magical alarm that Kaldur could pick up on. He was in over his head, and this was obviously too dangerous to handle alone; Aqualad was right.

The man's skin began to bubble, some kind of liquid skin twisting over his arm. It rose inexplicably, contorting into dangerous shapes the consistency of mud. When it was obvious that it looked like Kobra had a grotesque human torso sticking from his arm, it suddenly shrunk back into the man's body.

Naruto fought the urge to puke as the robed man closed his eyes. The Atlantean's tattoos glowed for a fraction of a second as he activated the communication spell, a silver glimmer passing over the surface of the water behind him. One of the cultists raised a gun in alarm, not trusting that that wasn't an attempt to attack them, but Kobra suddenly coughed.

The blonde stared at the cult leader, whose skin seemed to be glowing with what looked like blue fire. It was translucent and barely there, but it was radiant with power. It vanished, however, as the man's eyes opened. Yellow serpentine eyes met Naruto's gaze, and it was all Naruto could do not to scream in terror.

He did not like the way that felt, the way it looked. This man was inhuman, a disastrously dangerous entity. Whatever that ritual was, he wanted to puke and scream, all at the same time. His hands shook in the presence of that terrifying glance, and it was painfully obvious that this man was clearly the source. He skewed his wincing face, trying to imagine why it was affecting him this hard; he was normally so calm.

The only way he could describe it was this man's pure intent to harm or destroy, to kill, radiated off of his body in waves of power, and he was terrified to even imagine it.

* * *

**WASHINGTON D.C.  
JULY 5, 00:02 EST  
TEAM YEAR ZERO**

Something snapped him awake, and he was instantly aware of some kind of magic influencing him. His addled mind tried to connect the dots, tried to imagine how this... Superboy knew of magic to influence him; could Cadmus have actually added magic to Superman's skillset? The idea was horrible.

But as he glanced down in his pod-like prison, to the left of both Kid Flash and Robin also trapped in similar pods, a small bit of water burst out of the pack on his back, linked by a silver glow. Kaldur watched Superboy's eyes follow the display, but he focused his attention. Somehow, the tiny mist gathered until he could see an image capture of a badly-burned Naruto standing before someone who looked very familiar... His eyes widened with realization of Jeffrey Burr, otherwise known as Kobra.

The leviathan... It had all been a trap! But for what? Why would he have trapped Naruto?

The image faded, mist falling away, and left a very confused Superboy, which might have been the first legitimate bit of emotion the Atlantean had seen from him. Kaldur's focus felt split between two places, worried about his own current situation, and worried about Naruto. He had no idea what to do, and didn't know the spell Naruto had used to contact him long distance. Even if he could reach them, their radio communicators were down thanks to the depths, and Kaldur was instantly aware that Naruto was on his own.

Guilt swelled up inside of him.

* * *

_**Sorry to cut it off there, but that seemed like the most natural place to do so. I hope this also gives a taste at what is to come in regards to how the canon YJ story-line will shift in order to accommodate Naruto. There will be chapters/episodes that do not break away very much from the events of the episode, but I will do everything in my power to not copy the script word for word like other stories have done and to add plenty of original content to each situation alongside the adaptation scenes. There will be times when I do include lines from the script, but more often than not, I will try to find a way not to. One of my HUGE complaints about YJ is that the dialogue is geared toward explaining things for casual, less attentive fans, so there is a LOT of needless exposition to "summarize" the complicated plot. Just watch the opening scene of Revelation and the episodes Usual Suspects and Summit to know what I'm referring to; it's so painfully, obviously bad. I want to make the dialogue more natural, more fluid and less stilted, because this is a different medium than the show is, and I can use narration to explain details relatively well.**_

_**He will, of course, join the Team, but I'm not going to shoehorn the plot into revolving around solely him. This is as much an ensemble fic as anything else, with Naruto at the forefront. **_

_**Not sure when I will get the chance to update again. College starts again very soon, and I've got two weeks of job training for my RA position that will absorb nearly all of my free time. But hopefully it will be soon!**_


End file.
